To Be A Girl In MiddleEarth
by Lady ElfDragon
Summary: A girl falls off a cliff & into Nothing, chats with a disembodied voice, enters ME, and doesn't find herself in the place she expected to be. THEN she discovers her unusual habit of blanking out in the good bits. Nobody knows why she's there...or do they?
1. Intro

**Hi! I'm Lady ElfDragon and _this_ is obviously my fic, otherwise I wouldn't be here.**

**This fic's been spinning around in my head for a while and it'll be great to get it out and onto the screen. The soul purpose of it is to provide the background crud for another idea I had, but I have to write this one first. It's my first fic, so go easy on me. Feel free to praise, ask questions, give suggestions/ideas, and object to stuff (although if you criticize my stuff to no end you'll end up with my muse, Kaidrun, tied around your neck, and trust me, he bites).**

**The main character is based on me (even though she's 2 years older than I am). I have read the books and watched the movies, so I'll be taking bits of the storylines from both. Most of it will be from the movie though. My character has also read the books and watched the movies.**

**This fic contains Legomance (maybe), Mary-Sue (I think) and 10th Walker. Anyone who has allergic reactions to the previous probably shouldn't read, and if symptoms do occur, don't complain to me about it.**

**This _is_ a bit long-winded for an introduction, but I'm known to make things longer than they're supposed to be. Just bear with me, kay?**

**Other than that, please read and enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: _I don't own Tolkien's work or characters (although I wish I did), and I don't own the lines from the movie either. Please forgive me if I've mistakenly done something wrong. I do own me though…_**

To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth

Chapter 1: Galadriel's voice

-----

"Will you two stop bickering!" my mum yelled. My brother – Harry – and I abruptly halted our arguing.

"Pointy-Ears hit me," Harry complained.

'Pointy-Ears' was my nickname, courtesy of the abnormal growths that made my ears form sharp tips.

"He took The Fellowship of the Ring away, and I was going to watch it," I said.

"I only took it because you stole the keys to my bike-lock," he argued.

"I never touched them!" I retorted. That wasn't exactly true, but he needn't know that.

"I bet you _did_ take them."

"_I_ bet I didn't."

"You did!"

"Didn't."

"Did!"

"Shut up!" mum yelled again. "Rosalie, you should know better at sixteen than to hit your brother."

Harry looked at me smugly.

"However, Harry, you need to stop acting like a two-year-old," mum frowned. Harry's smile disappeared and I snorted.

"That'll be hard. He's too little to _not_ act like a toddler."

Harry pouted. "I'm not little. _I'm_ eight."

"Exactly," I said, "The age of little, tiny, puny, titchy –"

"Be quiet," mum's voice cut through my list of smallness. "The next one to talk goes to his or her room."

I shut my mouth with a snap. _That's unfair. I don't want to be sent to my room like a little kid._ A little voice inside my head told me that I'd better shut up then.

"At last. Silence," mum sighed. "I was coming to tell you that we are going to be going on a holiday."

My brother forgot he was supposed to be being quiet and asked, "Who's coming?"

Isn't the logical question 'Where are we going?' I thought. Meh. He's little. He has a right to be illogical. 

"Us," mum said simply.

"And…" I prompted. "Who's us?"

"Ha!" Harry shouted. "You spoke, Pointy-Ears, you have to go to your room!"

"I think you missed the point, brother dear. Technically, _you_ spoke first."

"Oh yeah…"

"Us," my mum continued, ignoring my brother and I, "includes yourselves, your father, myself…"

I looked at her hopefully.

"…And your cousins, Jack and Peter." she finished.

"Yes!" I shouted.

(**A/N:** you can't have a holiday in our family without cousins. Holiday Cousins, and that's that. Oh, if anyone's interested, Jack is seventeen and Peter is nine. Jack also has hair that looks like Aragorn's, and that's why I put him in the story. I'll shut up now…)

Harry did a funny victory dance around us chanting, "Cousins! Cousins!"

He kinda looked like a blonde-haired chicken.

With a stomachache.

Mum looked relieved we'd stopped fighting. Harry stopped in front of her and gave her a hug.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Kimboola National Park," she answered. "Now that I've given you the news, I have to prepare dinner." Disentangling herself from my brother, she made her way to the kitchen.

I let out the breath I was holding. She hadn't treated me like a child and sent me to my room. But she hadn't sent Harry either, and he was far too happy for his sibling's comfort.

I decided to change that. Reaching into my pocket I drew something out and dangled it in front of Harry's nose.

"Guess what I've got," I said, and grinned. My brother went cross-eyed and tried to focus on the object, which happened to be the keys to his lock. His eyes widened.

"Muuuuuuuuuuum!" he called. "I told you Pointy-Ears stole my keys!" 

-----

"Look! Look!" Harry shouted. "There they are!"

We were driving into the campsite area of Kimboola Park and I had just stopped pestering everyone with the usual "Are we there yet?" kind of crud. My brother had just sighted our cousins and was (obviously) delighted to see them.

We stopped and jumped out of the car, only to be smothered by a hug from Betty, our eccentric aunt. After we were able to breathe again, brother & sister greeted brother & brother in the usual fashion: Harry and Peter tried to knock each other over, while I struck up a conversation with Jack.

"Hi Jack, how's things?" I asked.

"Not bad Pointy-Ears – with the exception of everything," he gestured towards his little brother. "And don't tell Mum, but having Pete around all the time isn't my idea of fun."

I shrugged. "Brothers will be bothers."

Jack grinned. "You're right there, Pointy-Ears. We've been here for a few hours – settling in and whatnot – but we haven't had time to explore yet, so…" he looked around at my parents and his mum (they were arguing over where to put the tents) and then back at me.

"Let's take the little 'uns and go exploring," I said, and called to Peter and Harry who were tumbling around on the ground enjoying a fistfight. They reluctantly got up, dusted themselves down and followed in our wake towards the nearest walking trail (incidentally, it was labeled: _The Gale Rapids Lookout, 3 km. Warning! Do not approach unfenced drops. Water does not flow during the dry seasons. Supervise children well._ The usual stick-figure-falling-onto-gigantic-pointy-rocks picture followed this).

-----

Once the track entered the rainforest (and after I'd told them they could pretend to be Aragorn and Legolas tracking us), the littlies were content to leave us alone (thank God!) apart from the occasional zinging arrow, and the muted sound of arguing.   
We walked for another quarter of an hour and then stopped. 

"Is it just me, or has this trail taking longer then the sign said it was going to?" I asked.

"Pointy-Ears," Jack said (he and the rest of my cousins were the only people that were allowed to use that name and live) and looked sideways at me, "I think it's the fact that we keep on doubling back to check on Pete and Harry that's making it long."

"Oh," I said. _Damn my stupid, female, mothering self to be worried about them! Jeez, _that's _one of the many things I wish I hadn't inherited from mum._

"And you needn't have complained. There's the lookout." Jack pointed to a clearing ahead. As we headed towards it a sharp gust of wind tugged me towards the opening. It felt weird.

Actually, it felt like someone was calling me.

_Don't be stupid,_ I told myself.

We walked – well Jack walked and I edged – towards the drop. I don't know why I was cautious, but something told me that walking boldly up to a windy cliff edge was _not_ a good idea. A sign caught my attention and I sped up to reach it before Jack did. It was standing in the centre of a flat rock. The wind died down as soon as I set my foot upon the stone.

"_The Legend of the Rapids Falls_," I read aloud. "Hey, Jack!"

"What!" he called. "I'm a bit busy trying to fight against a cyclone here!" 

"Don't be an idiot. The wind stopped a few moments ago!" I watched in surprise as he staggered towards me.

"Quit fooling around, Jack," I said sternly. He gave me a funny look that changed to surprise when he stepped up beside me.

"Hey the air's still!" he exclaimed.

"It has been for some time. Look, do you see the misprint on this sign?" I asked.

"No…wait…Yes! They forgot to put in the 'Gale' part."

"Exactly. Now, read the legend," I ordered, and for once he obeyed.

"_Some superstitious settlers believed this outcrop of rock to be the home of an angry spirit, due to the many deaths that occurred in the area._ Then it says how someone proved them wrong…blah, blah, and blah… What did you want me to notice?" Jack asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Nothing, but I'm surprised you made it this far into your schooling if you read test papers like you've just read this sign. Read the rest."

"All right, all right. _It was named 'Rapids Falls' by…_someone with a strange and awfully long name…_because of the dangerous, fast-flowing water that appeared during the wet season. The name 'Gale' was added after…_that person's…_wife tragically died when a freak gust of wind knocked her off into the water. Historians continue to debate whether 'Gale' was given because of the wind or because that was the women's own name. Inhabitants of the surrounding towns are reluctant to go near the falls as –_" he stopped.

"Keep going," I urged.

"I can't, Pointy-Ears, someone's graffiti begins here. It's nigh impossible to read the rest of the sign." he grinned. "I could read the graffiti though. It's very crude."

"Go eat your hat," I snapped, stepping off the flat rock. Immediately, the wind picked up again, stronger than ever. It even broke the tie that kept my long, wild hair at bay. I heard a laugh beside me and looked up.

"You look like Éowyn, Pointy-Ears, from one of the scenes in The Two Towers," Jack smiled. "Except her hair is a great deal lighter than yours."

I shook my head and the wind cast my thick, brown strands across his face.

"Pointy-Ears, could you move? Your hair doesn't taste all that great."

I laughed and stepped forward and away. The edge was so close the tips of my shoes went over it. A hand grabbed my arm.

"Don't fall," Jack said.

"I won't."

Just then, a rustling sound came from behind me. I spun around and was caught off-balance by the wind. _Crap,_ I thought desperately. _I'm gonna fall_… At the last moment Jack grabbed my hand and steadied me.

"What was that about not falling?" he said with a grin.

"Shut up. I –" Suddenly a small figure leapt out at me from the part of the forest where I'd heard the noise. I stepped back with surprise; my foot connected with nothing and I fell.

I had one moment to register the horrified face of my little brother peering over the edge before I struck the boulders below and lost consciousness.

-----

When I opened my eyes I could see Nothing.

"Great. Where am I? And what just happened?" I asked the Nothing. My voice echoed away happily for at least ten minutes before I got my answer.

_You are where you are._ I shivered as the disembodied voice sent a chill down my spine. It was definitely female, even though it was deep. It was somehow very familiar. _You have fallen._

It was Galadriel. _Okay, I must've hit my head too hard._

"I've fallen…does that mean I'm dead?" It was a stupid question, I knew, but I asked it nonetheless. Light laughter filled my ears, seeming to come from everywhere at once.

"I take it that means I'm not?"

_No._

"So I must be dreaming," I concluded.

_No._

"What then?"

_You were called for one soul purpose, Rosalie, although whether you accept that or not is you choice. You may choose one of two paths. Choose a door and embrace your destiny. You will be forever changed no matter which one you choose to open._

And, true to the word, two doors appeared in front of me. One was my familiar plywood bedroom door, while the other…

"I guess that this is the path I was called to take?" I asked.

_Only if that is your desire._

The other was more of an arch than a door, and had many repeated carvings. I stepped closer…wait…they weren't repetitive patterns, they were a word repeated over and over! It'd taken me a moment to recognize the flowing script.

"Correct me if I am wrong, O voice of Galadriel, but the carvings on the arch, are they from the Tengwar?" I asked.

_You know of it?_

"I don't just know of it, I can read it too – this word at least. It's in High Elvish," my hand reached out and traced the word. "It reads _Endóre_, or Middle-Earth."

I blinked as I realized what I had just said.

"You want me to got to Middle-Earth!" I shouted. I immediately regretted it as the words continued to echo all around me. If this happened for much longer I'd go nuts! Maybe I already was.

_Only if that is your desire,_ Galadriel repeated.

"I do _not_ desire it! I'm not becoming a damn Mary-Sue! I'm going home." I headed towards my bedroom door and stopped my hand halfway to the door handle when a stray thought struck me. _My friends would kill to be in the position I am,_ I thought. _ If this is a joke, whoever planned it is going die. Stuff this, I'm going for and adventure._ I turned towards the other door.

_Wait, before you go through to Middle-Earth, I must ask you to take heed of three things. One – don't be afraid to tell your Elfin name to the first person you meet. Two – Don't try to change the story's path. Let it run it's own course…_

I didn't bother to ask why I should. "And the other?"

Laughter echoed around me once again. _You will find out. When the time is right._

"What kind of an answer is that?" I said, just before I stepped through the arch and my eyes went black.

**And there you have it: my first chapter ever! Now that you've read it you can review and tell me what a great writer I am! Then you can read the next chappie, review that too and make me happy! Replies and lots of praise will be given to the people that R & R. **


	2. MiddleEarth! Yay!

**Hi! Me again!**

**I forgot to mention in the last chapter that the romance bit comes later, way after she reaches Rivendell, so you'll just have to wait. I also have a bad case of laughing at stuff that no one else happens to laugh at. If you don't like my humour and complain then I'll smile at you and subtly tell you to get a life.;)**

**I also apologize with most of me (the part that's not black and evil) if I get times and distances wrong. I'm not too good with them, especially the time thing. I'm always late for everything except chapters! Aren't you readers lucky?**

**And for those of you who've read so far:**

**R.K. Binx: My first reviewer! Thanks! I'm glad you like it. I'm waiting with bated breath for _your_ next chapter. Keep reading:)**

**ArwenEvenstar83: Yay! Another reviewer! And all within two days! Wow. Anyways, you like it already? I do hope so. If you didn't, you wouldn't have said that…Thankyou soooooooooooooo much! I will update the chapters as seen below. And guess what? You get the Grand Smiley:)**

**I'll be updating at least once a week from now on, and if anyone wishes I'll post stuff quicker. It all depends on the reviews.**

**Disclaimer: _I don't own Tolkien's stuff or other people's work. I don't even own me…no, wait. I DO own me._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 2: In which I black out again

-----

Before I opened my eyes again, I noticed three things.

One, I was wet.

Two, I wasn't cold. That's strange. People usually get cold when they're wet.

Three, I was hungry, and…when I _did_ open my eyes…

Four, I was lying on my back in a cart that was trundling along a _very_ bumpy road, surrounded by lots of pointy objects. _Damn!_ I thought. _I'm definitely not in Rivendell._ _I don't even think I'm in Middle-Earth._ I tried to move and cursed loudly when most of the objects stuck into me. The cart suddenly stopped, and a figure cloaked in grey appeared in my line of sight.

"Let me help you, lass," a gruff voice said. A large hand grasped mine, pulled me to my feet and helped me down, away from the pointy things.

"You were found lying near the bridge, dead to the world. You must've been asleep for hours! I took it upon myself to carry you." The man was old – the fact was obvious since he had a long grey beard. He led me to the front of the cart and set me up in the seat before climbing up himself.

"You should know better than to be wandering around alone, even if you are this far from Mordor," he said as the cart began to move again. I looked up at his face and knew who my captor/rescuer was. I should've recognized him from his pointy hat – it went well with the pointy objects that I realized to be fireworks.

"Gandalf!" I exclaimed. So I _had_ come to Middle-Earth.

"Aye, lass, that'd be my name," the wizard said. "And what would be yours?"

I had to think for a moment before I remembered Galadriel's words. "Víralairë."

"A pretty name."

I knuckled myself in the forehead. _Stupid,_ I thought. _He'll know that it's Elvish! I'm glad my hair is covering my ears! I wonder where he's going? Fireworks, cart, bumpy road…of course!_

"When's Bilbo's party?" I asked, to change the subject.

"How do you know about it?" he asked suspiciously, then checked himself. "It's this evening."

"How far are we from Hobbiton?"

Gandalf pointed over the rise in the road.

"Over that hill and around that bend."

"Can I come?"

"Maybe."

"Please?"

"I said maybe!"

"_Please?_"

"We'll have to ask Bilbo. And please halt your questions."

We sat in silence until Gandalf started singing. It wasn't very loud, and it was more than muffled in his beard. A figure suddenly jumped out onto the rise beside the road.

"You're late," it said in mock grumpiness. Gandalf stopped the cart (and his singing), and I watched with interest as he made himself frown, his white eyebrows covering his eyes. He looked up.

"A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins," he said.

Frodo continued to frown.

"Nor is he early," Gandalf continued. "He arrives precisely when he means to."

There was a pause during which each tried to out stare the other. It didn't last long.

Frodo grinned. "It's wonderful to see you Gandalf!"

He flung himself at the wizard, nearly knocking me off my seat.

"Hey!" I shouted.

"My apologies my Lady," the Hobbit apologized.

"Apology accepted, but I'm not a lady, I'm just sixteen," I said.

"You're bigger than me."

That was true.

"Let him call you a lady if he wishes, Víralairë," Gandalf advised, and leaned over to whisper, "Later I wish to be enlightened on how you know so much about the halflings."

Great. He didn't trust me. It was probably something to do with my clothes. I'd bet my left arm that not one inhabitant of Middle-Earth had ever heard of jeans before.

"Víralairë…isn't that in Elvish name?" Frodo asked. I said nothing. Presently, he turned to Gandalf and asked him to tell of news from 'Outside'.

"Tell me everything!" the Hobbit insisted.

"Everything's a lot to know, Frodo," I said, breaking out of my silence. I was still a bit upset that I hadn't arrived when everyone was at Rivendell and things started to get interesting. "Just be thankful that the Shire is not widely known amongst the Outsiders," _otherwise you would be dead,_ I added silently.

I could hear faint cries of the wizard's name after we passed the place where the party was to be held. A short while after that half a dozen Hobbit-children ran up behind the cart. Frodo and I looked at Gandalf who seemed to take no notice until – with thousands of loud bangs and whistles – dozens of the wizard's fireworks shot off up into the air. A cheer followed this from all the watchers.

-----

Gandalf pulled the cart up outside the gate of Bag End. Frodo had left us a few minutes before. I'd had a few weird stares from Hobbits we passed, but so far, my appearance had not been thoroughly objected to. Thankfully.

"Come, lass," said Gandalf. I happily followed him, glad to be off his bumpy cart. The wizard strode up the path and tapped on the tiny, round front door with his staff.

"No thank you!" Bilbo's muffled voice called from inside. "I don't want anymore visitors, well-wishers or distant relations."

"And what about very old friends?" Gandalf called.

The door opened to Bilbo's puzzled face that cleared as soon as he saw the wizard.

"Gandalf!" Bilbo said and ran to hug him.

"Who are you, fair maiden?" he asked me when he was released. _Fair?_ I wondered. _I'm not beautiful enough to be considered fair._

"This," Gandalf answered for me, "is Lady Víralairë."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my Lady," Bilbo bowed, which was kind of nice.

"Pleased to meet you too, Bilbo," I said, "Although I can introduce myself, Gandalf," _and without the title of 'Lady', too,_ I added to myself.

A cool breeze blew on my face as the Hobbit studied me and I began to shiver. I don't know what had been keeping me warm before, but it was gone now. I was suddenly fully aware of my wet hair clinging to my clothes and my soggy clothes clinging to my skin.

"M-Master Bilbo, c-could you p-please lend m-me a towel? Or a b-blanket?" I asked.

"Of course! Where are my manners? Come in, come in!" he ushered us inside, looked around quickly and closed the door. I had to duck to fit, which I realized after I hit my head once or twice, but that was nothing compared to poor Gandalf. He had to be bent over in half; everywhere he turned he hit something and cursed under his breath. I laughed at him until he grinned himself.

Corridors spread in all directions and Bilbo hurried every which way through them. Asking questions all the time. I was handed a blanket and asked if I would like some wine.

"No, she's too young Bilbo," said Gandalf.

"Oh. Tea?"

"Yes please," I replied. It'd warm me up.

"Sugar?"

"No thanks."

It was really quite frustrating, sitting there quietly while Gandalf and the Hobbit exchanged news. It was equally upsetting that Bilbo kept fingering something in his pocket, something I knew to be the Ring.

-----

Nevertheless, the time passed quickly and the time for the party arrived. Bilbo had let me come so Gandalf had asked him for a hooded cape for me to wear over my clothes so no one would notice them.

"I'd like you to keep an eye on my supplies," the wizard told me. "Just in case they start disappearing faster than I'm using them."

_Good,_ I thought. _He's beginning to trust me._

-----

Before the guests were allowed onto the grounds, Bilbo shouted out:

"This, my friends, shall be a night to remember!"

Then the gates were opened and the party began.

And, by God, was it noisy.

Gandalf let off his fireworks every few minutes and I stayed very close to him because I didn't want to be trampled by some half-drunk Hobbit. Being near Gandalf soon made me smell like gunpowder and smoke, so I went searching for Frodo. I found him sitting with another Hobbit whispering quietly and throwing quick glances at the dancers behind them.

"Master Frodo!" I called; he looked up and quickly waved me over.

"Lady Víralairë can help us, Sam," I heard him whisper as I reached them.

"I'm not a lady, Frodo," I said forcefully. After both Hobbits gave me a puzzled look, I decided to retract my efforts for the time being.

"My Lady, this is Samwise Gamgee – everyone calls him Sam," Frodo explained. "And since you're a lady, I was wondering if –"

"Don't tell her, Mr. Frodo," Sam whispered.

"Don't tell me what?" I asked as I sat down. Sam's face went red and he mumbled something. Frodo sighed.

"He said he wants to ask Rosie Cotton to dance, but doesn't rightly know the way to go about it," he translated. Sam's face went a deeper shade of crimson than before.

I grinned. This would be fun.

"Asking girls to dance is easy, Sam, you just open your mouth and say the words. Or…there is an another way. Stand up," I asked.

"Go on Sam," urged Frodo, "ask Rosie for a dance."

Sam quickly got up from his seat. "I think I'll just have another ale."

"Oh, no you don't," Frodo and I chorused, grabbed him by the arms and pushed him towards Rosie, who up until then had been solo. Sam collided with her and she swept him into her dance. Frodo and I burst out laughing at the absurdly happy look on his face.

I left him and went over to where Bilbo was telling a fairly embellished version of his adventures sixty years before. That got boring after a while, so I went to check on Gandalf's cart of fireworks. From the movie, I gathered that Merry and Pippin would be looking through it sometime soon. I walked up to the opened store of pointy things and looked for the large red one that was shaped like a dragon's head.

It was gone.

"Oh, crap. Gandalf!" I screamed. What if this wasn't like the movie? What if the two Hobbits got hurt? What if…? Stupid what if's! Anyway, I'd never forgive myself.

I was too late. The tent nearby exploded and a huge light shot into the air. It transformed itself into the shape of a dragon and I tried to watch calmly while over a hundred Hobbits ran screaming from it's path.

I did have to duck as it swept over my head though. I liked my hair the way it was, which included not having it half singed.

The light-dragon disappeared into the distance and exploded with the most fantastic firework display yet. The Hobbits' screams turned to cheers. It was amazing how quickly their moods could change.

Just then, Gandalf found me.

"What's wrong, lass?" he asked in a concerned way. "Why did you call me? It was only a display of lights, there's not need to be –"

"I wasn't scared Gandalf. But I _do_ know who took that firework."

"Who?" he asked quietly. I pointed to the now tent-less and grass-less patch of ground. Two blackened Hobbits stood there, still in awe of the confusion they had made.

"That was good," said one.

The other nodded. "Let's get another one!"

"Right," Gandalf said huffily. In two short strides he had reached them and grabbed their ears.

"Meriadoc Brandybuck. And Peregrin Took. I might've known. Víralairë?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"Do you know if there is any room for extra workers in the kitchens?"

I smiled. "I do. The kitchens are in desperate need of people to clean the dirty dishes."

"How could you do this to us, my lady?" Pippin cried as the wizard propelled them towards the correct tent just as cries of _'speech! speech!'_ started to emerge from the rest of the crowd's noise. Bilbo was going to disappear.

I immediately forgot about Merry and Pippin. All those Hobbits were about to get very surprised. This I had to see.

I went to find Frodo, but he saw me before I saw him and pulled me down beside him. Bilbo had just stepped up on a chair to face his audience. Some of them had drunk so much it was a wonder that they could stand.

"My dear Bagginses and Boffins," Bilbo began, "Tooks and Brandybucks! Grubbs, Chubbs, Hornblowers and Proudfoots!"

"Proudfeet!" a hobbit with exceptionally large and hairy feet called out.

"Today is my one hundred and eleventh birthday!" Bilbo continued.

A deafening roar of cheers went up. This speech was short and to the point, but he was doing well. Much better than I would be anyway.

"Alas! Eleventy-one years is far too short a time to live amongst such excellent and admirable Hobbits."

Another cheer.

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." There was no applause here. Everyone was trying to figure out if what he said was a compliment or not.

"I…um…"

I watched as Bilbo's hand went to his pocket. Taking something out of it he held it behind his back.

"I have things to do…"

God! Even I could've made up a better excuse than that.

"I regret to announce this is the end. I'm going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell," he looked at Frodo.

"Goodbye," he whispered, and vanished.

And then my mind went blank.

**Heh, heh, sorry, cliffhanger. There. Second chapter done. Review and then I'll post up what happens to my character (By the way, I'll be referring to Rosalie as Víralairë if I ever have to write about her here. Hope you've enjoyed it so far). :)**


	3. WHAT did you say I looked like?

**mouth drops open. Oh, my God! 5 reviews and all within 24 hours of me posting my chapter (even though one _was_ a double up)! Wow.**

**Da Evil BEAN: I agree. Víralairë _is_ a pretty name considering it's the Elvish form of mine. Other than Lady ElfDragon, my name is Rosalie. I gave my character my own name. It's easier to base her on myself that way.**

**Da Evil BEAN: You're special, because you get two responses! I'm glad you still like my story 2 minutes after your first review:)**

**ArwenEvenstar83: As for why she blacked out, well, I'm afraid this chapter might not be that enlightening. She'll find out why she faints at Rivendell…oops, spoiler. I've gotta be a bit more reluctant to answer questions…And just coz you asked, here's the chappie that you wanted! Ready for a long explanation on Víralairë? Well, Rosalie happens to be my own name, so I gave it to my character (like I said to Da Evil BEAN). Rosalie comes from 'Rose' and 'Lee'. Rose obviously means 'rose', and Lee is 'meadow' in some weird and wacky language. The High Elvish word for rose is _víre_, and the word for meadow is _laire_. I put them together, changed the 'e' in _víre_ to an 'a' and put two dots above the remaining 'e'. It doesn't sound so nice anymore, does it? But Galadriel _did_ tell her to give her name that way. The Elves have another name for her, and its translation is much better (damn! Another spoiler…). You're a great reviewer, and the first that seems to ask questions. Wow, this response was looooooong! Keep reading:)**

**Hope of Freedom: I hate cliffhangers too, and I know other people do. I'm evil so there'll be plenty more cliffies where that came from. I'm glad you like my fic and I'm getting warm fuzzies just thinking about the next wave of reviews:)**

**Darth Squishy: Well, _you_ can suggest ways in which Rosalie can stuff up, coz I'm not too good at thinking up things that could happen. Even if wine was considered common, I still think it would be a bit weird if Gandalf had let her drink it. Also, if it was common, that would be the reason that Bilbo offered it as a lunch-time drink before the tea. You are kuffuddling my head. I _did_ say before that I'd accept ideas (didn't I?), and I won't take anything personally unless someone says outright that it's a dumb story and I should get a life. You did _not _do that, so quit worrying. I am altogether a very trusting and optimistic person, and now you've made ME worried! Jeez!**

**Disclaimer: Great. Another one. Oh all right… _I don't own Tolkien's work or characters, and I don't own stuff from the movie. I obviously own me._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 3: In which we finally leave

-----

_This is becoming a bad habit,_ I thought as I began to wake up. _But I really had no reason to blank out that time._ I was lying on the floor of Bag End, with a warm blanket over me. A small hand covered mine – a _Hobbit's_ hand. I sat up.

"The lady's awake," I heard Frodo whisper.

"Obviously," I said irritably. 'Lady' again. My stomach grumbled. "I'm hungry."

"Here, my lady," said Sam, appearing and handing me a bowl of broth. I tried not to notice the looks of awe he cast at me as began eat. _Hang on, looks of awe? What the Hell?_ When I finished I noticed daylight was streaming through the round windows. _That's weird,_ I thought. _It was dark a moment ago…oh crap._

"Where's Gandalf?" I asked suddenly.

"He left after the party," said Frodo. "He said that there were things he must see to and questions that needed answering."

Yep, that was what Gandalf was supposed to say, right before he left for Minas Tirith. Damn! I could've told him what he was going to find and saved all that time.

"How long ago did he leave?" I asked.

"Three days ago."

"Three days! I've been asleep for that long? What happened? Bilbo disappeared and then I –"

"You've had a terrible fever since then. We couldn't wake you. Gandalf was really worried!" Sam exclaimed.

_A fever?_ I thought as I shifted around into a more comfortable position. My clothes felt strange so I looked at what I was wearing. I rubbed my eyes. Nope, still there.

"Why am I wearing a nightgown?" I asked aloud.

Sam looked apologetic. "We thought it might be the wet giving you the fever, miss, so we changed you out of your damp clothes."

I looked at him with shock. "_You_ changed my clothes?"

"Oh, no, my lady," Sam face went red. "I asked Rosie Cotton to do it for us."

"You didn't peek?" I asked suspiciously.

Both Hobbits shook their heads furiously.

"Good. How'd you make it fit?"

"Rosie Cotton extended it to fit you," Sam said proudly.

"Really?" I asked uninterestedly, and then grinned evilly. "How was your dance with her by the way?"

"I…er…I…" he fumbled around deciding what to say for a full minute before I grinned.

"Guess that means it was great, hey?"

Sam stopped trying to talk and just nodded. There was a silence while we all thought of what to say next, and then Sam asked:

"Lady Víralairë, are you an Elf?"

"What!" I shouted. "Are you nuts! What made you think that?" I was actually quite comfortable with being mistaken for an Elf, but I'd never pass as one.

"You're ears, my lady," Sam answered honestly. _My ears?_ I thought in confusion. _Oh crud, he thinks my stupid pointy growths make me an Elf._

"And your looks aren't exactly plain either," Frodo added.

"My…" _hang on,_ I thought. _Galadriel said I would be changed forever, no matter which path I chose._

"Frodo, get me something that I can see my reflection in," I said quickly. The Hobbit jumped up and came back with a small hand-held mirror. I snatched it from him, said thank you and stared at my reflection for a long time with a shocked expression on my face.

Both the Hobbits had been right.

My ears, instead of their usual dull points, formed very fine tips that seemed too delicate to be real. And I was pretty.

Not just pretty, I was beautiful enough to be an Elf. I must've looked this way ever since Gandalf found me.

I swore. Both Hobbits recoiled with a look of surprise on their faces. I smiled.

"Sorry." I decided to check if Gandalf had given Frodo his warning. "Frodo. I'd like to speak to you about a particular gift your Uncle left for you," I nodded towards the mantelpiece above the fire. The Hobbit understood.

"Sam," he said a little too loudly. "I think it's time, now that the lady is well, for you to get back to your gardening."

Sam jumped up quickly. "Yes, sir. My apologies sir."

I waited until he'd left before I turned back to Frodo.

"How do you know about Bilbo's ring?" he asked before I could say anything. I thought fast.

"Gandalf told me." I was relieved when he seemed to accept my answer. "I suppose Gandalf's already told you this, but you must never put it on, or I swear that I will knock you senseless. It will be more than three weeks until Gandalf returns, and you must not even look at it until then, understand?"

He nodded and I relaxed.

"Do you want to show me around Hobbiton?" I asked.

-----

The weeks passed quickly, and all too soon it was the night of Gandalf's return. I had become a good friend of Frodo and of Sam, so I'd decided to leave when they did. I wasn't too sure that they trusted me fully yet, being that I kinda turned up on their doorstep out of nowhere, and then promptly went and fainted when Bilbo vanished.

Hobbits were so peaceful and fun loving that I wasn't pleased that I would have to leave soon and it made me grumpy. I'd made friends with many of the smaller Hobbit-children, and had taught a few of them some origami (much to their delight. I do believe that some proud parents framed their children's creations and hung them in their homes. Weird.).

Frodo and I (now back in my own clothes) were currently walking along the road back to Bag End after saying goodnight to Sam who was having tea at Rosie's. After I'd kicked my seventeenth pebble, hurt my foot and cursed loudly, Frodo asked if I was feeling all right.

"No I'm _not_ feeling fine at all!" I replied grumpily.

"Anything I can do to help, lady?" he asked. I tried to stay angry but failed. _Damn Hobbit's and their insistence on making everyone happy,_ I thought.

"You can't help me, Frodo" I sighed as we reached the door of Bag End. I was ready for the sight inside but Frodo wasn't. He opened it and gasped.

"The lanterns are unlit, and I'm sure they were burning when we left," he said in a puzzled tone. He went in and I followed, bracing myself for the appearance of Gandalf. It didn't work though. I still got a fright when a hand reached out of the shadows and grasped Frodo's shoulder. By the looks of things, the Hobbit was about ten times more petrified than I was until he heard Gandalf's voice.

"Is it secret? Is it safe?"the wizardasked urgently.

"What?" Frodo said confusedly.

"He talking about the Ring," I said and looked at Gandalf carefully. The wizard gave me a look that said, 'I don't know how you know but I'll find out later'.

"You are well, lass?" he questioned. I nodded. Gandalf released Frodo and told him to fetch the Ring. As the Hobbit sorted through the chest full of maps and parchment there was a shrieking noise. Gandalf spun and looked around wildly, his staff in his hand.

"It's here!" Frodo called. The wizard turned, grabbed the envelope that contained the ring and flung it into the fire.

"What are you doing?" Frodo cried as the envelope blackened and curled away. Gandalf didn't answer. Instead, using a pair of tongs, he plucked the Ring from the flames and held it out to Frodo.

"Hold out your hand, Frodo," I said, stealing Gandalf's lines. "It's quite cool."

The wizard gave me a funny look but dropped the Ring into Frodo's now outstretched hand.

"What do you see?" Gandalf whispered as he turned away from the flames. "Can you see anything?"

I watched as Frodo turned the Ring over in his fingers. He shook his head.

"Nothing. There's nothing."

Gandalf sighed in defeat.

"…Wait," Frodo said and Gandalf brightened. I watched them as the familiar curving script began to glow on the golden band.

"There are markings," the Hobbit continued. "Some form of Elvish – I can't read it."

"There are few who can," Gandalf said grimly. "The language is that of Mordor, which I will not utter here."

"Mordor?" Frodo said in a shaky voice.

"In the common tongue it reads:

_One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,_

_One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them._"

I waited expectantly for the wizard to say something more, and when he was silent I whispered:

"_Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,_

_Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,_

_Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,_

_One for the Dark Lord on his dark Throne_

_In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie._

_One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,_

_One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them._

_In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie._"

There was a pause, and then Gandalf folded his arms. "I wish to know how a girl like yourself knows so much about things that would usually be hidden from many."

I made a face.

"And _I_ wish to know how an all-knowing wizard fails to know-all," I gave a sigh of defeat. "I'll tell you, but let's have tea first. I'm hungry."

-----

"Yours is a most unusual story, Víralairë," Gandalf said after I had finished. Being who I happened to be, I had told him everything except the answer to his original question.

"You haven't told me how you know these things, though."

_Damn!_ I thought. _Ummm…_

"Galadriel told me that she would set me down near Hobbiton at the time of Bilbo's party – and that explains itself. She also told me about the Ring," they were both lies, and I knew it, but I didn't want them to know that I knew what was going to happen. Then they'd ask me and it would probably mess up the future and everything would be wrong. Then a thought struck me. I had told Frodo that _Gandalf_ had told me about the Ring! _Heh, heh, oops,_ I thought sheepishly. _I hope they don't damn well notice it._ I put on my best 'I'm-telling-the-truth-so-please-_please_-believe-me' face. Gandalf still looked suspicious.

"Well," he murmured finally. "If that's all you are going to tell us…"

He turned to Frodo, who had set the Ring upon the table. "This is the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron…"

I sighed. Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk about the Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, and guess what else: The Ring. Snore. I went to sit by the window and wait. After a few minutes the Ring's whispering filled my head. I grimaced because it was a sound I hated with a passion, and it was louder here than when you watched the movie.

"All right," said Frodo suddenly, grabbing the Ring. "We'll put it away – keep it hidden – and never speak of it again."

"That won't work," I said quietly.

"But no-one knows it's here, do they?" Frodo asked me. I just looked at Gandalf.

"Do they, Gandalf?" Frodo repeated. Gandalf sighed.

"There is one other who knew that Bilbo had the Ring…" he began. I stopped listening and waited, humming a tuneless song to myself.

"Shire? Baggins?" Frodo eventually questioned. "But that will lead them here!"

_Oh no,_ I thought. _Now he's going to –_

"Take it Gandalf!" the Hobbit said, holding the Ring out. "Take it!"

"No Frodo –" Gandalf stepped back.

"You must take it!"

"Gandalf is right, Frodo," I interrupted, trying to skip a lot of boring reasoning. "Even if he took the Ring because he wanted to do good things, through him it would wield a power that is greater than anything you have ever known."

"But it cannot stay in the Shire!" the Hobbit protested.

"No, it can't," Gandalf agreed. I watched impassively as the realization hit Frodo. His hand closed over the ring.

"What must I do?" he asked.

-----

Ten minutes later, Frodo and myself (with a borrowed pack) were ready to leave.

"Stay off the road," the wizard was saying.

"We can cut across the country easily enough," Frodo replied. "But I still don't know why I have to take Lady Víralairë with me. It might be dangerous."

"You're not leaving me behind – I can take care of myself." I said calmly. "And quit calling me lady."

Frodo slipped the Ring into his pocket and stood expectantly before Gandalf. The wizard smiled.

"Frodo, Hobbits really are amazing creatures," he said. "You can learn all there is to know about their ways in a month, yet in a hundred years they can still surprise you."

I snorted. "That's for sure. Look what Bilbo's gone and done."

The bush outside the window rustled and I grinned as Gandalf ordered us to get down. He poked the bush with his staff and it let out a yelp. Plunging his hand outside the wizard pulled a small and frightened figure into the room and slammed him on top of a table.

"Samwise Gamgee!" Gandalf yelled. "Have you been eavesdropping?"

"I haven't been dropping no eaves, sir, honest," Sam said shakily, as Frodo and I tried to keep from laughing. "I was just cutting the grass under the window there, if you follow me."

"It's a little late to be trimming anything, don't you think?" I giggled.

"I heard raised voices –" Sam began.

"What did you hear?" Gandalf thundered. "Speak!"

Sam jumped. "N-Nothing, nothing important. That is, I heard a good deal about a ring, a dark lord and something about the end of the world, but please Mr. Gandalf, sir, don't hurt me. Don't turn me into anything…unnatural." he begged.

"No?" Gandalf looked at Frodo and I. "I've thought of a much better use for you, Samwise. How quickly can you be ready to leave?"

"T-To leave, sir? Um…dawn, maybe?"

"Good," Gandalf said, setting the Hobbit on his feet. "Go and pack."

-----

"Come along, Samwise! Keep up!" Gandalf called, leading his horse down the road. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, and Sam was shouldering his pack.

"I'll wait for him, Gandalf," I said. "Hurry!" I called back to the lagging Hobbit. Sam started to trot along, the dust making little clouds around his feet. He was so focused on catching up he didn't notice the large stone in his path until he tripped over it. I rolled my eyes and ran to help him up.

"Thank you, my lady," he said gratefully and kept going.

We reached the glade where Gandalf was to say goodbye. He mounted his horse and I was suddenly aware that I had never thanked him for taking me to Hobbiton. I did so, and he reached down to place a hand on my shoulder.

"You are welcome," he said. "Keep the Hobbits safe and stay out of danger yourself."

"I will." Good, the advice, obvious though it was, meant that he at least trusted me enough to leave me with Frodo and Sam. It was a start.

Gandalf looked at Frodo and glanced at his pocket.

"Remember, Frodo, never to put it on. Farewell!" he said, and he urged his horse into a gallop. The Hobbits sadly watched him go, until I shook them.

"Come on! We'd best get going if you want to get anywhere. Jeez! You're both as slow as snails."

-----

We reached farmer Maggot's field the following evening. I was happy, because we'd run into Merry and Pippin soon. I began counting in my head. After a minute of walking along a path through the crops, Frodo noticed that Sam was missing. He called out his name until Sam appeared behind us looking relieved.

"I thought I'd lost you," he said.

"What are you talking about?" Frodo asked.

"Oh, it's just something Gandalf said when we was leaving."

_One…_

"What did he say?"

_Two…_

" 'Don't you lose him, Samwise Gamgee' and I don't mean to."

"Sam, don't be silly. What could possibly happen?"

_Three_. _They should arrive just about…_

Two Hobbits suddenly leapt out from the side of the path. One hit Frodo and bowled him over and the other did the same to Sam. I grinned.

…_now._

**Hey! There's no cliffhanger! At least, not much anyway… Sorry if this chapter was a bit long, but as I said before, I do tend to make things longer than necessary. The more reviews, the quicker the next one goes up so press the little button and give me a review! And do be nice. :)**


	4. Enter Ranger and call me Víra

**Hi! This time I got a review within three hours! I'm sitting here with my mouth hanging open staring at the screen in astonishment. I'm so happy!**

**This chapter might be a bit of a disappointment for some. I'm not sure if anything is humorous enough (I don't know, I've read it so many times I'm kinda sick of it), but don't – and never – despair! For there will be another chapter soon! And all the readers will rejoice and never…Ahem. I'll shut up now.**

**ArwenEvenstar83: Quit smiling wistfully at me. It's too hard to refuse when you do that. All of your names are wonderful, and if you keep reviewing I'll make you an OC – with your permission that is. You're a gem; you do realize that, don't you? Now that you've asked me to post it, no one else will have enough time to review! I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow (or until I've enough reviews)… :) ...****I have enough reviews! I'll just answer them and then post the update. Moving on…**

**Fk306 animelover: Wow. You don't say much do you? Thanks for reading, though:)**

**Laureloth: You're special too! You get a double review like someone else did before! Keep reading!**

**Laureloth: Good! Suggestions! Things I love! It's okay to forget, I forget things all the time…what was I saying again? Something about…darn! I forgot! And since you asked a question I have to answer…but it'll be a spoiler…only a little one, though… Gandalf is NOT fooled, as you'll see when the others find him again. She'll tell…eventually. :)**

**Nasuada Moon: _Another_ short one…You think it's cool & funny? Good, I'm trying to stick some humour in it somewhere…but everything a story should be? Umm…not quite yet. Stories need to be finished, & this one's not even close. Great compliment, though! Hmm…everything a story should be…that has a nice ring to it… :)**

**Da Evil BEAN: Yay! Movie script!…heh, heh…I'm grinning sheepishly coz if I'd followed Mr. Lord of M-E Tolkien's book it would've confused tons of people that hadn't read it. So yeah, I'm doing this for my readers, and you'd better all be thankful! Liz…hey! I have a cousin called Liz! You're elvish name is beautiful! I love it as I do all Quenya names! Update soon? This soon enough:)**

**One last thing people! Rosalie/Víralairë uses one bad colourful word in this chapter. ONLY one! I'm putting this little warning here so I don't get in trouble for _not_ warning you people.**

**Disclaimer: Right. _I don't own the lovely stuff that belongs to other people. I do own stuff that belongs to me._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 4: In which I'm a lot of opposite things, I hate rain and I blank out…again

-----

"Frodo!" exclaimed the Hobbit that had landed on top of Frodo.

"That's his name, Pippin, now get up," I said, offering him my hand.

"Merry, It's Frodo!" the Hobbit said as I pulled him to his feet.

"You just said that, Pippin," Merry told his friend as he got up also.

Farmer Maggot's dogs began to bark, and I heard the farmer's voice yelling at us. Or at least, in our general direction. Both Pippin and Merry froze with their arms full of freshly picked vegetables.

"I think you should run," I advised. All four of them wasted no time, and in a flash they were gone. _I_ found my arms full of Maggot's crops. _Crud._ I swore as I dropped them and raced after the others.

"Why's he so upset? It's only a couple of carrots," I heard Merry saying.

"And some cabbages," Pippin added. "Oh! And those bags of potatoes we left here last week, and then the mushrooms the week before…"

"Yes Pippin!" Merry interrupted. "My point is, he's clearly overreacting."

Running as they were and not looking where they were going, it's not surprising that when I caught up to them I found that they had fallen down a bank and landed in a heap at the bottom. I slid down nimbly, landed beside them and helped them all up but not before Pippin had seen the mushrooms growing in a clump at the side of the road.

"Mushrooms!" he yelled (well, what else do you call out when you've found some?), running over to them and beginning to shove them enthusiastically into a small sack. Merry, however, dusted himself off and began to thank me, then stopped.

"You're the lady who told Gandalf to take us to the kitchens, aren't you?" he asked suspiciously.

"What? Didn't you have fun being punished for taking Gandalf's best firework?" I teased. Merry surprised me by grinning impishly.

"Actually, after we accidentally-on-purpose broke some of the best dishes, they were relieved to see us go," he said, completely unembarrassed. I had to smile.

Sam, meanwhile, was anxiously looking around.

"Lady Víralairë," he asked, "where's Frodo?"

"I'm not a lady! And how should I know where that fool of a Hobbit is?" I snapped. I regretted it instantly when I remembered which part of the plot we were up to.

"Crap. We should find Frodo and a hiding place quickly." The three Hobbits ignored me completely until Frodo showed up and repeated my words. This time they listened, much to my annoyance.

If there's anything at all that I learnt from Middle-Earth, it's that huddled behind a tree root in dirt that's infested with creepy-crawlies, squashed in amongst four Hobbits is _not_ anyone's idea of fun.

In any case, at least we were out of sight of those creepy black riders. Merry and Pippin didn't seem too concerned, until they heard the heavy footfalls of the rider's horse approaching as if it was searching for something… which it was.

I glanced quickly a Frodo and saw him fumbling in his pocket. His eyes were glazed and it looked as if he didn't realize what he was doing. _Right,_ I thought. _He's either in terrible shock or he's going to take something out of that pocket…or both._ I looked up and my heart skipped a beat.

Towering above me was the foulest and ugliest face I had ever seen.

I was lucky it was hidden behind a thick black hood, so I didn't actually see it. It was a plus that we were hidden from its line of sight. _I don't even know if it _can_ see,_ I reminded myself, my eyes wide.

The thing sniffed the air, which was pretty disturbing. I managed to look at Frodo, and to my horror he had taken out the Ring and was a moment away from slipping it on his finger.

I saw one of the other Hobbits throw the sack of mushrooms to distract the rider, and then my vision clouded.

-----

It felt as if I was walking on cloud and stone at the same time. Surrounded by ice and fire I felt both light and heavy. _This is stupid,_ I said to myself. An instant later I was catapulted out of the dream-thingy and…

…Into the rain. Lovely.

I swore. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately. I blinked rapidly as I tried to adjust to my surroundings. It was dark, I was surrounded by billions of trees, three Hobbits were crouched on the ground just in front of me and an urgent-looking Pippin was tugging at my sleeve.

"Come, lady, you have to hide. Those riders are following us. Come away from the nasty riders. Come on now." He was talking to me as you would a two-year-old.

"Why are you talking to me like that?" I growled as I knelt in the dirt behind a large log. In spite of my angry tone, the halflings looked visibly relieved.

"You've been acting strange ever since we got away from that first black rider, my lady," Pippin explained hurriedly. "We don't know what was wrong, but you have been in a kind of trance, and –"

"Shut up!" I hissed, cutting off his explanation. A cold feeling of dread had just washed over me. It was the feeling I got whenever I saw one of the Black Riders in the movies. I heard hooves, looked up and felt my breath catch. There, outlined by the moon, was a silhouette of a figure I wish I'd never seen. I swore again, then looked up with determination.

I may've just been out of action for a few hours, but now I was wide-awake and with a distinct feeling of 'if I don't do something I'm going to end up dead and so is everybody else'.

"Those things are hunting for you, Frodo," I whispered urgently. "You need to get out of the Shire, and fast." He gulped, but nodded.

"We can take the Bucklebury ferry," Merry toned in, also in a whisper. "Follow me."

We all got up and ran, putting all our faith in Merry. I thought that was stupid, but it worked out all right in the movie, so why shouldn't it work now? We ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, and jumped over a low fence, and ran some more. I was petrified that we'd stumble across another Black Rider, but surprisingly we didn't. Not everything was turning out like the movie. My hopes were beginning to rise until…

The constant pattering of our feet was suddenly shot through with a high-pitched shrieky-howly sound. We were nearly at the ferry, but I could feel and hear the galloping of hooves about three or four metres behind us. _I don't know how they'd caught up to us so fast, but they damn well aren't going to get any closer_, I told myself. All my thoughts were bent on that one thing, until Frodo tripped.

"Frodo, you idiot!" I yelled, hauled him up and pushed him in front of me. The Hobbit managed to stumble again into a jerky run. The other three had already boarded the ferry, and were frantically unraveling the ropes from the stumps on the pier. _Thanks for waiting,_ I thought dryly as Frodo jumped aboard. I followed him quickly (only slipping enough to dampen the soles of my shoes, thankfully) and I soon found myself being hugged in relief by my companions. _What the Hell?_ I stared at them like they were half-mad.

"Can you get off me please?" I asked weakly. They all mumbled an apology and I disentangled myself from their grasps. Glancing at the shore, I saw that the horses were beginning to make their way into the water. My eyes widened with shock, and with out knowing exactly why, I flicked my hand in their direction.

"_Lar!_" I shouted. The horses suddenly seemed to hit an invisible barrier. They reared up and backed out of the water. I blinked.

_Okay…that was really weird,_ I thought to myself. A glance at the Hobbits told me they had noticed nothing. _Thank God! How much longer would their trust hold if they saw me do random stuff like that?_ I wondered. I_ don't even know what happened…_ I continued to puzzle over the puzzling occurrence until we arrived at the other side of the Brandywine River.

-----

I cursed the rain under my breath as we stood outside the gate at Bree. Frodo knocked, and a grizzled face appeared in an opening in the door above us and looked around, trying to see who was there.

"Oi! We're down here, stupid!" I shouted. The man started with surprise and then a second opening appeared, this time much lower.

"What do you want?" the man growled angrily.

"Just shut up and let us in!" I said loudly. It wasn't very polite, but the rain had made me irritable. Frodo frowned at me and said to the man:

"We're heading for the Prancing Pony."

The door opened and the gatekeeper held up a lantern so that it shined over our faces. I withdrew my face quickly into my hood, hiding behind my curtain of hair. There would be unwanted talk if a girl that looked like an Elf suddenly appeared in Bree.

"Hobbits! Four Hobbits!" the man exclaimed and squinted in my direction. "And a lady! What business brings you to Bree?"

"We wish to stay at the inn. Our business is our own," Frodo said hurriedly.

"All right, young sir, I meant no offence – it's my job to ask questions after nightfall," he grumbled, opening the door to let us in. "There's talk of strange folk abroad…can't be too careful."

_If he was going to open it anyway, couldn't he have done it sooner?_ I thought as I stepped over the threshold, sighing with relief. We were finally here. I could eat, I could wash myself, I could get out of the rain and I could sleep! Wonderful!

We made it to the Prancing Pony without being trampled too much by the crowd. After I yelled at a few people to get them out of our way everyone seemed to avoid us.

_Great._ I thought bitterly. _I must be scarier than I think._

Pushing open the inn's door we were met with a good blast of noise and light. Walking up to the counter, Frodo asked the man behind it (Mr. Butterbur) if he could tell Gandalf that we had arrived. When Mr. Butterbur said that he hadn't seen Gandalf for a long while, the Hobbits looked at each other with surprise. I looked around for a dark hooded figure to reassure myself that Aragorn was nearby. Unfortunately, most of the people in the Prancing Pony (including myself) were wearing hoods. Damn.

"Let's find a table and get something to drink," I heard Frodo say, so I followed him at sat down at the place they'd decided on.

"We'll be fine, Frodo," I said, patting him on the back. He grunted a reply and didn't say much until we were given our drinks. I took a quick sniff of the contents of my mug and grimaced.

"Ugh. What _is_ this?" I asked Pippin, who was sitting beside me. The halfling had already drained his mug. He then held it aloft and proclaimed:

"Butterbur's finest beer!" Pippin looked at me and asked hopefully, "Are you going to drink yours?"

"No."

I pushed it towards him and he grabbed it, thanking me quickly. I shuddered. Back at Bag End, I had been glad that Gandalf had refused the wine that was offered to me. For one thing, it made me sick to drink any form of alcohol (I had sometimes taken a sip from my parents' glasses and each time I became violently ill). The other reason was… I shook my head to clear it. I couldn't bear thinking about it. It was too awful.

(**A/N:** readers, you will find out the other reason later on…)

I watched as Pippin and Merry got up and went over to the bar – most likely for more drinks.

"I hope they don't loosen their tongues enough to blab your real name Mister Underhill." I looked at Frodo meaningfully. He ignored me, staring off into space until Sam elbowed him sharply.

"That fellow's done nothing but stare at us since we arrived," he said. He pointed to a figure smoking a pipe by the fire. _Aragorn!_ I thought gleefully. _I _knew_ he was in here somewhere!_

Frodo called Butterbur over and asked about the-man-he-didn't-yet-know-was-Aragorn. After a lot of explaining, the innkeeper said that the man, who was a Ranger, was called Strider in Bree. I asked him for something to eat he nodded and left to get it. I sat back to wait and stared at the ceiling.

I blinked. Something had just happened to my vision, but it was gone now… no… there it was again! _What the…?_ I sat up swiftly as my eyes blurred. I felt dizzy, like I was going to be sick or something.

"Sam…Frodo…" I whispered urgently.

"What, my lady?" Sam asked in a worried voice. And then, just as suddenly as it had come, the feeling disappeared. I blinked again, coming to the conclusion that I must be a bit sleepy. I rubbed my temples gently and noticed Frodo and Sam looking at me.

"Nothing's wrong, Sam," I said to answer his question. "I'm just tired, is all." I looked over at Aragorn again. I could feel his eyes watching us. It was very unnerving, so I decided to stare back at him just because it gave me something to do.

A moment passed and the Rangersat up suddenly: I became aware of an overly loud discussion that was taking place over at the bar. And to say the least, I knew now that Pippin and Merry would make great angry principals – their voices could've been heard in Rivendell.

_Crap…Well, I _did_ warn Frodo…_ I thought as the said Hobbit ran over to his companions and pulled them away from the crowd that had gathered. After he knocked Pippin over, he tripped over one of the men's feet and fell on his back, his hand outstretched to the ceiling. I froze as the ring turned somersaults in the air and came down over his finger. I heard gasps from around the inn and turned to Sam as Frodo vanished.

I saw the shocked expression on his face and then I felt the wave of dizziness again.

I lost consciousness.

-----

Waking in a dark room, I found myself lying beside a fire that had sizzled down to barely a few flames. I looked up to where the ceiling should've been, but instead it was blocked out by a man's shadowed face bent over mine. I screamed and struck out at it. The man backed away in shock and raised his hands in defense. In the dim glow from the fire, I realized who he was.

"Shit!" I shouted. "Aragorn, you don't have to scare me like that!" _Oops,_ I thought weakly. _I called him by his name…I'm not supposed to know…_

"It is a poor thanks that you give to your healer by swearing at them, my lady," the Ranger said, smiling faintly.

_Good. He hasn't noticed._

"My healer?" I asked in a puzzled voice.

"You were struck down by that fever again, my lady," Frodo's voice came out of the shadows. "Strider brought you out of it before it could take much of a hold on you."

"Erm…he did? Thank goodness for that. I didn't feel like being left behind because I was sick –" I quickly cupped a hand over my mouth, realizing I might've said too much. What if the Ranger hadn't offered to take them to Rivendell yet? But thankfully Aragorn didn't seem to notice.

"We will not leave you behind, lady," Frodo put in. "While you were helping Sam get ready Gandalf told me he wanted to see you again about something… important. That means we're bringing you along."

My stomach sank to the floor. _So much for the whole trust thing,_ I thought miserably.

"What's been happening while I was asleep?" I asked Frodo.

"Strider told me who he was and that he knows about the Ring," the Hobbit explained. "He advised us to hide here instead of sleeping in our own room tonight after I told him we were being followed. Then he carried you in here and woke you out of sickness with his herbs." Frodo gestured towards a small pouch lying in Aragorn's lap. When it seemed that he was finished, I looked around the room I was in.

I saw that we were well away from where the Hobbits had originally chosen to sleep in the inn. Sam, Merry and Pippin were asleep – sardined together in their sleeping gear on the stone floor – Frodo was awake, and Aragorn was keeping watch for… My thoughts trailed off and I shuddered.

"Ara–Strider," I began, "we were being chased by those horrible Black Riders, and –" I stopped short as I heard hooves on the cobblestones outside and hissed, "Is that them?"

The Ranger nodded slowly. I swore under my breath. A few moments later the Hobbits formerly asleep woke with a start. Pippin sat up so quickly he accidentally knocked his head against the wall.

"I bet that hurt," I said. The Hobbit scowled at me as he rubbed the back of his skull, then stiffened as the piercing screams of the Black Riders sent chills down his spine; it affected all of us in the same way – except Aragorn. I don't know what he was made out of, but it was obviously something stronger than sixteen-year-old girl. I covered my ears in a useless attempt to keep the noise out of my head.

After the sound had ceased, I gazed into space as Aragorn gave the explanation of the Nazgûl. After who knows how long I blinked, a touch on my hand startling me out of my thoughts. Aragorn took his hand away.

"We leave at dawn, my lady," he said softly. "You'd better get some rest."

_Great,_ I thought. _Another early start. I'm going to be so tired by the time we get to Rivendell._

"Where do I sleep?" I asked with a yawn. The Ranger gestured towards a bundle of blankets in the corner. I crawled over to them and threw myself ungracefully upon them. I scarcely noticed that the other Hobbits were already asleep. As I lay back I noticed Aragorn staring sleeplessly out the window.

"You're keeping watch?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes, my lady," he answered.

"All night?"

"Yes."

"You're crazy," I said, frowned and added, "and don't you start with the 'my lady' thing too, Ranger."

Aragorn turned towards me, his gray eyes searching my face.

"What do you ask that I call you? The halflings didn't think to give me your name," he said. Well _that_ was a surprise – and also something I hadn't thought much about. Getting rid of the lady bit had come first.

_My name…_

My thoughts arrived at one conclusion and I turned to Aragorn who still happened to belooking at me.

"Call me Víra," I replied firmly.

**Well, there you have it! I hope it wasn't too boring! Next chappie will be up by the end of the weekend – I hope. Assignments are starting to flock in from all directions and my desk is covered in homework… ah well, life is full of unwanted schoolwork. R & R:)**


	5. Strange dreams

**Hello! Me here! Like I said last time, I've got tons of assignments and homework to do, but I'm going to be bad and do this as well – even though mum said not to procrastinate. Ah well…**

**Da Evil BEAN: Thanks for reviewing! I agree – Barrow Downs is really creepy, but unlike you I read it at midday! I'm glad you survived, coz otherwise you wouldn't be able to read this! I hope your next chapter comes up soon:)**

**Fk306 animelover: Thanks for reading, but you've said the same short sentence twice now… :)**

**XClaireX: Right, this is going to be long. My fic reminds you of your story? Weird…And of course I'll keep writing! What'd'ya think I am, a quitter or something? I don't really care if you bug me, coz the only way you can is if you submit reviews! And reviews make me happy! You haven't burst my bubble – in fact you've made it swell to twice the size! You're _supposed_ to think she's turned into one of the fair folk. I know that Elves can't get really get sick and if I explain about the dizziness and the secrets then I'd be giving away a major spoiler! So bleh! Muahahaha! Ahem. Thanks for reading and I'm glad you like it:)**

**ArwenEvenstar83: It's okay. You can smile wistfully. Like my cousin once said: "You aren't a freak Rosalie, but you do complain a lot". I have no idea why she said that, but anyway… You've nearly guessed what's going to happen already! You must read minds or something… :)**

**enyamorntuilr: Wow. Yet another reader that submits short reviews…ah…I didn't say that…You love it? Yay! Nar-nee-nar-nee-nar-nee-na! Heh, heh… :)**

**Disclaimer: _I don't own all the stuff that belongs to other people and I other people don't own all the stuff that belongs to me._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 5: hasa grumpy me, some 'hills', and a strange dream

-----

The sun came up at dawn. Obviously. Aragorn woke us a few minutes after it had risen and discovered how grumpy I am in the mornings. I complain a lot. And loudly.

"It's too early for me to be awake," I grumbled as I helped Aragorn fasten our packs to the pony, Bill. He (the pony) looked underfed and nearly as grumpy as I did. Although, Bill _did_ look better compared to the Ranger who looked as scraggly as the dead things outside the inn that were hardly worthy of the name 'plant'.

_But he might only look that way because he's forcing himself to not kill me,_ I thought. _It's not surprising though. _I'd_ want to kill me after all the griping I've done._

"Stop complaining or I won't let you have your morning meal," Aragorn said with his back facing me.

"Yes mum."

The man spun around. "I'm not you're mother."

"No, you're not," I agreed. _And, by God, aren't I relieved,_ I thought wryly.

"Them why call me that?" Aragorn asked confusedly. I grinned and patted him on the shoulder.

"It's a saying, Ranger. If you think about it hard enough it'll make sense."

-----

"Do we have to climb any further?" I asked.

We'd left Bree, and all of us, except Aragorn, were currently dragging ourselves up a very steep incline that the Ranger called 'a small hill'. I omitted Aragorn from the rest of us noble stragglers because he was at the summit before we'd even started.

"The Nazgûl will find our trail soon enough. Make haste!" the Ranger called back to us.

"Are you kidding?" I shouted back at him. "We're going as fast as we can! Not everyone's as fast as a damned Ranger!"

I watched Aragorn sigh because I couldn't actually hear him and halted abruptly as he slid down to us and came to a stop right in front of me.

"Watch it," I growled. "You nearly stood on my toes."

The man just looked at me and said, "Víra."

"That's my name," I said and scowled at him because it was still early and therefore, I was still grumpy.

"I'd like a drink, please," I said finally. The Ranger silently handed me a water skin. I drank my fill and passed it on to the Hobbits.

"Are you ready now?" Aragorn asked.

I nodded.

"How much further do we have to climb?" Pippin asked.

"Oh, not much," I answered for Aragorn. "Just over those couple of hundred hills over there for a few hours, and then the same distance again before nightfall."

All four Hobbits groaned. I looked at them strangely. Surely they didn't believe that I was serious?

"Jeez, you don't have to take everything so literally. I was joking, okay?" I said as I grabbed Bill's leading rope and started up Aragorn's damned 'hill' again. The others followed and we reached the top, finding ourselves looking over a few scattered trees and one big rock. I don't know why the rock was important, but anyway…

We went down the hill about a thousand times faster than we'd come up and Aragorn began leading us towards the rock.

"Where are you taking us?" Frodo asked as we reached it. Both the Hobbit and I had noticed that we were getting further and further from the road.

"Into the wilderness," the Ranger replied simply and kept walking.

"How do we know that this 'Strider' is a friend of Gandalf's?" Merry asked quietly.

"Ruddy distrust…" I muttered under my breath. "I trust him." I said aloud.

"We have no choice but to trust him," Frodo answered just as quietly.

"But where's he leading us?" Sam asked giving Aragorn's back a dark look.

"Around a rock, Sam," I replied, smiling slightly. "And up a few more 'small hills' as well."

Aragorn overheard us and stopped to give me a strange look. "To Rivendell, Master Gamgee," he answered the Hobbit. "To the House of Elrond."

"Did you hear that?" Sam said excitedly. "Rivendell! We're going to see the Elves!"

"Oh! You think?" I asked sarcastically. Sam looked at me.

"Will your folks be in Rivendell, my lady?" he asked.

"My… Sam, look, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times – I am _not_ an Elf!" _Wow,_ I thought. _I'm beginning to sound like my mother._

"I meant no offence, my lady."

"None taken," I replied evenly. "And would you please stop calling me 'lady'! I'm younger than you are!"

"Yes, my lady," the halfling said meekly.

_This is getting nowhere,_ I thought to myself, sighing.

-----

"It's snowing," Pippin said unnecessarily.

"It's c-cold," I added and shivered. _How could the weather change that quickly?_ I asked myself. I felt something warm being dropped onto my shoulders and turned to look behind me.

"T-Thanks, Ara–Strider." _Oops, I nearly said his name again._ The Ranger nodded in acknowledgement and kept walking ahead, now without his cloak. A couple of steps later, I noticed that I had a lack of Hobbits trailing behind me. I turned to see them (and Bill) resting beside a bushy-tree thing. Aragorn had noticed this as well and called back to them.

"Gentlemen –" he began.

"And pony," I put in. "Unless, of course, Bill is also a gentleman." I added quickly.

The man gave me another of his strange looks.

"We do not stop 'til nightfall," he continued.

"You're going to kill us then," I muttered. No one heard me.

"But what about breakfast?" Pippin complained.

"You've already had it," Aragorn said, frowning.

"We've had one, yes. What about second breakfast?" the halfling asked.

Aragorn seemingly ignored him and continued walking until he was out of sight around another bushy-tree thing.

"I don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pip," Merry muttered.

"What about Elevensies?" Pippin asked frantically. "Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn't he?"

"You Hobbits eat way too much," I muttered. "I hope you don't eat all _my_ food."

"I wouldn't count on it," Merry said to Pippin as he shouldered his pack, beginning to head after Aragorn.

A small, round, red shape flew out from behind the bushy-tree thing the Ranger was behind. Merry looked up, startled, caught it and handed it to Pippin, patting his friend on the back.

"An apple?" Pippin said in a confused voice.

Aragorn threw another fruit from behind the bushy-tree thing, and this one hit Pippin on the head. The Hobbit looked up to see why it was raining apples, and I laughed at him. Hobbits looked_ so_ cute when they were confused!

"Hey Strider!" I called. "I'm hungry too! Can I have some apples?"

Obligingly, an apple flew over the thing that I'd finally decided to call a bush.

"Thanks!" I called. _Nice, _nice_ Aragorn,_ I thought.

Then the Ranger let another fruit fly and this one hit me on the head. I growled.

_No,_ I thought angrily. _Not nice Aragorn! He's a darned, stupid Ranger! And male too!_

-----

We _did_ stop at nightfall thankfully. My feet were aching from walking up all of Aragorn's stupid hills. I waved away my dinner and lay down at the base of a tree.

"We rise at dawn," Aragorn said as his goodnight.

"Great," I grumbled.

"Sleep well, my lady!" Pippin called.

"I will! And there's no doubt about that!" I called back. "And for the last time, 'my lady' is a stupid title, it makes me feel old! Call me Víra, Aragorn does!"

I didn't hear the halfling's answer. I had rolled over and fallen into my dreams.

-#-

My vision was hazy and I realized that I was stumbling through fog. _This is one weird dream,_ told myself. Suddenly I stopped and squinted into the gloom. Was that a light…? Yes, it was! And for some unknown reason I knew that I had to get to that light.

_Víralairë…_ I heard a voice whisper.

"Shut up Galadriel," I said without thinking.

_Do not talk to me like that,_ her disembodied voice said sternly. _Listen, child, you must get to that light._

"Um…I kinda figured that out a while ago…hey! What are you doing in my dream?" I asked, but I received no reply. I shrugged and began my stumbling towards the shine in the mist.

I spent a few minutes of wandering nearly aimlessly until the light flared up directly in front of me. It was actually really, really pretty…

It turned out to be yet another of Galadriel's doors. This one had the inscription: _Saironi Mindo_. Translation: Wizard's Tower.

_Wizard's Tower?_ I thought to myself. _Saruman!_ I hurried forward.

The first thing I noticed was that I was in amongst tons of trees. The second thing I noticed was that I was see-through.

_Great,_ I thought.

The third and final thing was that my head was aching. Terribly.

I heard some shouts and decided to head towards them. After finding their source I found that being translucent was an extremely good idea. I had happened upon the destruction of the groves around Isengard.

Man, those orcs are ugly!

As I stood and watched, glad that I was not completely visible, my head was every so often shot through with sharp points of pain. As a tree close by was torn from the ground I felt another jab of pain in my head.

And that's when I realized that it wasn't my head that was hurting, it was my _mind_. And the reason for my pain was the _destruction_ of the grove.

_I'm feeling the pain of the trees!_ I thought, blinking. _I thought only Elves could do things like that…_

-#-

I felt someone shaking me.

"Wake, my lady, the Sun is up and Strider said we're leaving," I heard Sam's voice whisper.

"I'm up," I mumbled drowsily, thinking over the night's dream. _It might've been a vision,_ I thought, then dismissed the suggestion with a shake of my head. _It can't have been more than a weird nightmare._

After a quick breakfast of half-stale bread and a drink of freezing cold water, we were ready to leave. Surprisingly, my feet didn't hurt anymore and my muscles weren't aching. I must've walked a lot less yesterday than I'd thought.

All day we walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, and I stumbled and fell, and was picked up, and then we walked some more. I was tired and grumpy and lots of other things that are described with bad words that we will not utter here.

We (after I'd submitted billions of my complaints and stood on Aragorn's toes accidentally-on-purpose to annoy him) finally came within walking distance of a hill, and I made Aragorn agree that it was a BIG hill and not just a slight bump.

"This was once the great watch-tower of Amon Sûl," the Ranger said quietly after he had finally come to his senses and admitted that it was a hill… Or he might've just wanted to shut me up.

"Well, it's not so great now," I said nastily after a quick look at the partially demolished building. I again received strange looks from all my companions (except Pippin, because he was off doing something. I didn't know exactly what and I never found out, but knowing him it was probably something to do with his never-fully-satisfied curiosity).

"We will rest here tonight," Aragorn said firmly.

"Thank God!" I said loudly.

Pippin caught up, and forgetting that I was supposed to be tired and sore from the day's walk, I raced him to Amon Sûl (otherwise known as Weathertop), forgetting the events that were about to unfold…

**Heh, heh, me and my bad memory. Okay, I apologize with all my heart (even the bit that's black and evil) for not updating yesterday, but I had a stupid Art assignment. I'm not entirely sure when the next chapter will be up because I've got exams for Maths, SOSE, English, Art, and a grade nine camp to go on and all within the next two weeks. I'm also very tired so this chapter might be boring and have errors and other stuff. I'm sorry, but I really have to get to sleep…**

**Nighty night, and please review. _yawn._**


	6. Nazgûl have knives

**Hello everyone! I'm back! Did you miss me:) Camp was weird, and I got sunburnt. It was hot. We had a spider in our tent and couldn't find it after we ran around screaming. It's probably hiding in someone's gear. One of the teachers breathed in a bug and it was funny. She ran around coughing and we were all really freaked and afraid she was choking, but she didn't. My friend Danielle and I won the orienteering competition and we got CHOCOLATE! YUM! My sunburn really hurts and… hey! I'm blabbering! Why didn't anyone stop me? Ah well… Response time!**

**Fk306 animelover: Ha! You said that sentence again! Thanks for reading!**

**Da Evil BEAN: Thanks! I won't wait with bated breath for your next chapter, and I'll forgive your laziness coz I'm lazy too…sometimes… **

**enyamorntulir: Víra (as I'll call her now) doesn't believe that she is an Elf and she's right. I think I said this to someone in the last chapter… Giving an explanation will mean a big spoiler so I'm not going to say anything... :)**

**Arwen Evenstar83: Galadriel is in her dream because she did the same thing she did in the third movie with Frodo – helping him up near that gigantic spider's cave – except she only projected her voice… something like that, anyway. Víra forgot what was going to happen on Weathertop just because, and she'll remember soon enough. Thanks for your review and you didn't say too much because I distinctly remember getting one from you that was MUCH longer. I like long reviews! They make me feel loved:)**

**Laer4572: Hey! New person! Yay! I hope I ace my tests too. Then I won't have to work very hard for the rest of the year to make up for it – and I can update quicker. :)**

**Elocin: Hello friend from school! I'm putting your reply up so that you don't destroy everything, thinking that I didn't get it. I agree with you – my story is great! See ya:) :)**

**Before we start, I must ask for answers to some questions. 1 – Can elves have brown hair? 2 – do I need to change my summary? 3 – um… I forgot. Maybe I'll remember later…**

**Oh yeah, I forgot to say in the first chapter that even though the genre of this fic is humour/romance it doesn't mean that it is a humorous romance. It's a 10th Walker story that has humour and romance in it, but they aren't the main things. I probably just wasted a whole lot of time explaining something to you people that you've probably already realized.**

**Moving on…**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 6: Someone gets stabbed and I blank out – for the fourth time

-----

"I. Am. Cold. And. In. Serious. Need. Of. Some. Food," I said haltingly with gritted teeth. I was shivering and the unsympathetic Hobbits and male human I was travelling with were just looking at me. I'd given Aragorn's cloak back after it fell off while I was running with Pippin.

We'd got to Weathertop and I found it to be cold and dark and scary. The stupid Ranger said we weren't allowed a fire yet, _and_ I'd just remembered what was about to happen. Stupid Nazgûl.

"Stop your complaining, Víra," Aragorn said as he turned back to what he was doing, which happened to be looking for some sort of food in Sam's pack. What was strange was the fact that no one else seemed to feel the cold as I did. Stupid cold.

I suddenly felt warmth flow into me from both sides. I blinked.

"Pippin, Merry, what are you doing?" I asked with a frown. The two halflings had _snuggled_ up against me. I don't know how they could, because I _stank._ I was all sweaty from running and I hadn't had a bath since forever.

"Keeping you warm, Lady Víra," Pippin replied a matter-of-factly.

"Right," I muttered. I'd managed to get them to call me Víra, but the 'lady' wasn't leaving any time soon. I shifted my weight and leaned back on the stone wall. I wasn't too comfortable, but I _was_ getting warmer.

Aragorn unexpectedly stopped searching in Sam's pack and dug into his own, pulling out something wrapped in a big bit of leather. Throwing it on the ground he unwrapped the objects inside.

"Shiny," I observed. "And pointy. They're Hobbit-swords aren't they, Strider?"

The Ranger nodded.

"These are for you," he said, throwing one to each of the Hobbits. "Keep them close."

Merry unsheathed his and stared at it like he'd never seen a sword before. Now that's what you call a weird Hobbit.

"I'm going to have a look round," Aragorn continued, and got up to leave.

"Ah…Ranger?" I asked questioningly. He turned to face me.

"How come I don't get a sword?" I asked.

"Ladies – and girls – have no need to fight," Aragorn said. My mouth dropped open.

"You're not going to leave me here defenseless!" I shouted.

"You have the others to guard you."

"They can't guard me! They've never even used swords before!"

"And have you, Víra?" Aragorn asked quietly. I closed my mouth with a snap.

"No," I admitted finally. "But –"

"Then be silent! And stay here," he added to all of us, including Bill. The pony snorted.

"Yes, sir," I muttered bitterly as he walked away.

-----

Frodo had fallen asleep a while back and Aragorn was still wandering doing his 'looking around'. He'd been hours, and frankly, even though I was annoyed at him, I wished that he was back. I could tell him what was going to happen, but… no. I couldn't. That would take too much explaining and by that time the Nazgûl would be here…

My thoughts spun round and round inside my head and trailed off as my stomach became aware of the smell of food. _Food!_ I thought frantically. I looked around quickly and saw that the damn Hobbits (except Frodo) had lit a fire and were making their dinner in a way that would say to the Nazgûl: "Hey! We're over here! Come and get us!"

"Stupid halflings!" I yelled, waking Frodo, who ran to the fire and stomped on it, putting it out.

"Hey!" Merry yelled. "What are you doing?"

"He's putting out your fire," I growled. I was actually more angry with myself than anyone else._ I should've been watching!_ I thought to myself. _But there's no time for thinking things like that now!_

"But why did he have to do that?" Pippin asked.

A wail suddenly split the night like one of Legolas's arrows hitting an orc's head. I watched as the halfling's faces turned from looks of anger to pale sheets of terror.

"Does that explain why Frodo had to put out your wonderful attention-getter?" I whispered.

The Hobbits nodded and slowly walked to the edge of the watch-tower.

"The ground's misty," I said to no one in particular. The Hobbits gave me strange looks not unlike Aragorn's and peered over the edge. They saw what I expected them to see.

"Black Riders," Merry breathed.

"Yes, silly Hobbit. We established that fact when we heard the shrieking. Now draw your swords and run!" I shouted, mentally cursing Aragorn for not giving me a weapon that I could've at least waved threateningly.

I tried running for the exit – which on Weathertop was a crumbled arch and a rocky path – but had to turn and follow the halflings who were not being very smart and were running up to the top level of the ruins of Amon Sûl, trapping themselves.

"Jeez they're stupid," I said under my breath as I reached them. They were huddled together with absolutely terrified expressions on their faces and they jumped when I came up to them and tapped Frodo on his shoulder. Hobbit-swords, although they may be small, are very, _very_ sharp.

"Put them down it's only me, idiots," I hissed, and felt the sharp pricks leave my body. As we stared around in the gloom I felt my heart beginning to beat faster. Frodo was going to get hurt, and there was nothing that I could do about it because I had no bloody weapon! I muttered curses under my breath as I continued to look about.

"Where's Strider, Lady Víra?" Sam asked. I rolled my eyes. _How should I know?_ I thought and then froze as a black hooded figure loomed up out of the arch we had come through, drawing its weapon.

"Great," I said shakily. "It has a really big, long sword, and what do we have? We have Hobbit-swords that don't look much bigger than butter knives. I don't think that we have much of a chance against a Nazgûl."

Frodo's staring face went from pale to sheet-white and sweating. I guess that they were kinda scaring him out of his wits – and my words weren't exactly comforting.

"Relax, Frodo," I said, trying to reassure him. "Ara–Strider will come and we'll all be fine." _I hope,_ I added silently. Ever since I got to Middle-Earth I seemed to be hoping a lot.

And I turned out to be hoping in vain. Out of the darkness of some other archways that I hadn't noticed before came more of the horrible things. Now there were _five_ of them.

"Damn you to Hell!" I shouted. The dark figures turned towards me. _Um, that was _really_ stupid,_ I thought, as I backed away with the Hobbits now behind me.

_I wish Aragorn was back already!_ I thought. As soon as I'd thought that, a strange feeling flowed over me. _It feels familiar somehow,_ I thought. And then it came to me. It was the same weird sensation that I'd had at the Bucklebury ferry before I'd called out 'stop!' in Quenya!

"It worked last time," I muttered. _Maybe I could try to stop them again –_

The words leapt from my mouth before I could think.

"_Estel, túla!_" I cried and then clapped my hand over my mouth. _That wasn't what I was going to say!_ I thought frantically. _I wonder if they've noticed this time…_ My thoughts trailed off as I saw the Hobbits staring at me. No, they were staring beyond me! I turned around quickly and found myself face to blade with the tips of the Nasgûl's five swords. Understandably, I screamed.

"Back, you devils!" Sam yelled suddenly and leapt forward, clanging his small blade against the nearest Ringwraith's.

"No Sam! It won't work!" I yelled, but Sam had already been beaten and tossed aside like an old rag. The same happened to Merry and Pippin, and I was left standing beside Frodo. The terrified Hobbit dropped his sword and backed up against a low wall, tripping as his foot met a loose bit of stone.

"_Anta Estel nar!_" I unconsciously shouted as I grabbed the discarded sword and ran to stand beside Frodo. The Hobbit was clutching at his pocket, drawing something out of it.

"Don't do that, stupid!" I screamed at him. "It won't hide you!"

The five Ringwraiths turned towards me again, and then back to Frodo, who had taken out the damned Ring and was staring at the Nazgûl with a look that was more terrified than all his previous ones put together. The Nazgûl in the centre of the group drew a knife and began to stride purposefully towards Frodo and I.

"Great," I groaned. "Another blade. That's all we need."

I kept standing over Frodo feeling very unprotected with his Hobbit-sword. _Galadriel said that I had to let the story run its path,_ I thought and told myself sternly, _that means no interfering, Rosalie._

The black figures were seemingly taking forever to reach us, and I felt every second of terror they brought with their slow motion. The one with the knife was a pace away from its prey – Frodo.

And I was in their way.

Stupid little me.

Another familiar sensation came over me – the dizziness had returned.

_I must still be sick,_ I thought dumbly as a blurred, mail-clad hand reached across my vision. My shoulder burned with searing pain at the hand's touch and it flung me away from the halfling's side. Frodo was holding the Ring.

"No, Frodo!" I cried out, but he vanished. Then the wave of dizziness became stronger and overwhelmed my consciousness. All that I saw before I blacked out was a shining sword and an orange-red flame, wielded by a dark figure.

Aragorn had come.

**There. Done. And I'm really tired. I have to go to bed or my mum will kill me. This one's a bit shorter then the others but I can't type anymore otherwise you'll end up having to read stuff like this: hhbgbgtvfruyjhn. Why? Because my head will have fallen onto the keyboard. Please review! And long responses and questions will make me feel loved! Tests start in two days so there won't be much stuff posted for a while. I'm sorry, please forgive me. :)**


	7. We have to walk

**I apologize to the fanfiction people for the fact that there was no disclaimer in the last chapter. I was really tired.**

**Hello people!**

**Sorry it's been so long but as I said, I have assignments coming out of my ears – I'd much rather be writing this, believe me. If anyone wants the translation for Estel it is on page 1064 of LOTR Book 3. It's the name Elrond gives to Aragorn when his mother takes him to Imladris. It means 'hope'. Dunno why he got that name, but anyway…**

**_Estel túla!_ means 'come, Hope!', but Víra said it as 'Come, Aragorn!' using his childhood Quenya name.**

**_Anta Estel nar!_ means (in full translation) 'Give Aragorn flame!'.**

**_Lar!_ for back in whichever chapter it was means 'stop!' but I think Víra might've explained that already…**

**I love you all for your reviews!**

**Fk306 animelover: You said it AGAIN! You're giving me a headache! _sigh_ thanks for reading!**

**enyamorntuilr: Translations above! I'm not good at Elvish, but I do try… **

**Laer4572: Sadly, Frodo still gets hurt. Víra has to wake up first. I hope there's no paparazzi in M-E coz that would be SCARY! HA! I spelt it right, and you didn't! Ahem. Also sadly, I didn't have a great day like you said coz my sunburn really, REALLY hurt. I hate sunburn. **

**ArwenEvenstar83: NO! NOT good cliffie! Bad, BAD cliffie. I hate cliffie's just as much as I hate sunburn. But I'm evil so I put cliffhangers in my stories… Heheheheeeeeeeee! **

**E.Tphonehome: _screams_ OK, OK! I won't resist you putting this on your alert list! Actually, I will offer it with a large smile on my face and hope you will take it. New people are always good. **

**Elocin: You are one weird friend, my friend. I told you stuff already because I was afraid that you were going to roast me over a fire at camp, and if you damn me I won't be able to write anymore! **

**Danny: And I have yet another friend! Hello! Thankyou for reading it and I'm glad there are so many people who like this story…And Víra keeps blanking out because… HA! NOT** **TELLING! **

**Da Evil BEAN: You were the only one who bothered to answer my questions! hugs computer Thanks! But… are you sure that Elves can have brown hair? Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww, I was going to use that! Darn! I sincerely _hope_ my summary is OK, coz if people think it's stupid they won't click on it and read. I've been remembering and forgetting my 3rd question for ages now and you can read it at the end of the fic. "Keep up the good"…. WORK! Eeeek! Lady ElfDragon NEVER _works_ on fan fics! Are you kidding? I _create_ them! Work sounds too much like shudders school… LOL. **

**Nasuada Moon: _sits still and stares with a happy smile on her face_ ………………huh? What? Oh! I'm doing responses! Ahem, don't mind me. How do you mean that you were writing it on your _head_? You could nearly be as weird as I am. **

**Kat: Yay! Another friend! I got both your reviews Kat. You can't order me to do anything and I don't need ordering to write chapters. You of all people should know that… **

**And that was a grand total of…a number of reviews! Yay! The most ever!**

**And because I don't know Sindarin as well as I know Quenya because I am dumb, all people speak that can speak Elvish speak it instead of Sindarin unless it's in the lines of the movie or the book.**

**Looking back on my stats, my fic and I seem to have an extreme case of reviewless readers. LotsOfPeopleMoreThanICanCount read – or at least clicked on – the last chapter and I got nine reviews! I'm happy for those, at least! Also, _OTHER PEOPLES WHO'S NAMES WE SHALL NOT UTTER HERE_ have put _To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_ on their favourite list and are making me feel SAD! If it's good enough to call a favourite, then why, WHY Eru do they not review? Ahem, I'm am not whining, but I just want to know why!**

**takes a deep breath**

**Moving on…**

**Disclaimer: I forgot it before so this time it is looooooooooooong! I know. I'm crazy. _I own me and only me. My cousins from the first chapter own themselves, but I decided to take their characters for some well-needed airing. Tolkein owns his characters, and the movie people own what they created. Special thanks to the great thing that's helping me learn Elvish as I go. I hope I'm getting it all right._ Phew! Done!**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 7: In which a lot of fuss is made about my shoulder… and we _still_ haven't reached Rivendell

-----

I woke to see the shadowed face of a man, inches from my own.

"That is becoming a _really_ bad habit, Strider," I grumbled as I sat up, wincing as pain shot through my shoulder. _I must've hit it hard when I fell,_ I thought dizzily. "How long was I out?"

"A few moments," The Ranger said quietly. _Only that long…?_

"Where's Frodo? I asked quickly. Aragorn gestured towards a group of three Hobbits surrounding a staring figure that cried aloud every so often.

"And he is obviously not all right, so I won't bother asking_ that_ question," I muttered, trying to stand up. The palm of my right hand was aching too – I had gravel-rash. Darn.

"I came too late," Aragorn said, bowing his head.

"You tried."

"I heard that you did too, Víra, and I thank you," Aragorn said as he helped me regain my feet. "But now Frodo needs to get to Rivendell."

I looked at him. "Well…?"

"Well what?"

"What are we waiting for?"

-----

And…

We were running.

Again.

But I wasn't complaining, even though my shoulder burned with pain whenever I moved. I think it hurt even when I just _thought_ about moving. My shoulder was stuck to my shirt, but I ignored it. I didn't even know _how _it was stuck – probably with sweat. Yuck.

But Frodo had to get Elvish healing. I didn't care that it worked out in the movie – I was going to have a part in this or (God help me!) I would die of uselessness.

"We're six days from Rivendell!" Sam cried, pulling Bill after him. "He'll never make it!"

"Gandalf," Frodo mumbled from his position of potato-sack-on-Aragorn's-shoulder.

"Hold on Frodo," The Ranger muttered.

"Gandalf!" The Hobbit unconsciously cried.

_And _this_ would be the part of the movie where they show us the Uruk-hai of Saruman,_ I thought, shuddering. _I'm glad we don't have to see it for real._

-----

"We will rest here tonight. For a small time at least," Aragorn said, setting Frodo down.

_Finally!_ I thought. _We are stopping! Walking non-stop for however many hours we have been is tiring!_

Sam immediately rushed over to his master and wrapped him in his cloak, smoothing the hair back from Frodo's face. I shivered as I saw what that blade had done to him. His eyes weren't just clouded, they were emitting a sort of eerie glow and they were dim and unseeing. I turned to Aragorn with my mouth open, ready to say something but instead I cringed with the pain of my shoulder.

"Is something wrong, Víra?" the Ranger asked. It was more of a statement then a question, really.

"I hurt my shoulder when I was knocked aside by the Nazgûl," I stated. "I must've pulled my muscles when I hit the ground. It's probably nothing."

Aragorn stepped towards me.

"Even so, let me see it."

I stepped away from him.

"That means removing my shirt," I said slowly. _Even though I _am_ surprised it hasn't fallen off already, _I thought wryly._ My shirt and jeans have more holes in them then there are droplets of water in all of Middle-Earth._

"Yes," the man replied. Then realizing why I was hesitating, he added, "Only to see if you are hurt."

"Are you crazy!" I shouted. "Scratch that. Being male, you probably are. Sam, do you have a spare sheet?"

Aragorn frowned. "Víra, what will you need a sheet for?"

"Because I happen to be a _modest_ female," I said, obviously. "I don't walk around with nothing on."_ And also I have to make sure you don't see that operation scar on my chest,_ I thought wryly. _I bet no one's heard of an atrial septal defect in Middle-Earth._

Aragorn nodded, seemingly understanding.

Backing away into the shadows, I removed what I unfortunately had to and wrapped myself in the cloth, hiding the scar that ran down the centre of my upper body. Heart operations don't occur without leaving a mark onyour body. When I caught sight of my bare left shoulder I hissed sharply and covered it with a corner of the sheet.

_Now I know why it was hurting so badly,_ I said, knuckling myself in the forehead. _Damn that stupid Ranger –_

" – for being right!" I shouted extremely loudly. _I wonder why my clothes stayed intact?_

"What is the matter, Lady Víra?" I heard Pippin call. I walked back within sight of our camp with a frown on my face.

"This," I growled, and bared my shoulder. The three conscious Hobbits gasped and Aragorn's usual slight frown deepened. Now that my skin was bare to the breeze, my shoulder burned continuously with pain.

"Doesn't that hurt you, Lady Víra?" Pippin questioned.

"How did you burn yourself Víra?" Aragorn asked softly.

"I didn't. It happened when the Nazgûl pushed me away. Believe me, it _feels_ like it's burning."

It actually only felt like a sunburn. A very, very, very, very, _very_, VERY bad one, but a sunburn nonetheless. I had a large red-raw patch on my left shoulder in the shape of a hand –a large hand. It was quite strange. From those first aid courses I'd had to take in school, I figured that with a burn this size I was supposed to be on the ground screaming with pain. But I wasn't.

_I hope I'm not becoming an overly perfect Mary-Sue, _I thought. _They always seem to have moments like…_ My thoughts trailed off as I realized that my companions were just standing there. Maybe they'd never had to treat a girl's wounds before.

Frodo cried out, louder than ever, and the Hobbits turned their attention back to him.

"Hello? Some pain-relief would be nice," I said to Aragorn.

"It is rare that a Nazgûl's touch leaves only a burn," the man said. "Let me see your shoulder first."

"Okay," I replied, walking over to him. He examined my shoulder carefully for a long while.

"So…" I said finally, my modesty starting to rise. "Am I going to survive?"

"Yes," Aragorn replied. Then a while later, "Why do you put all your faith in me when the halflings are hesitant to even think of trusting my lead through the wilderness?"

I hesitated, then said, "Because I'm a trusting kind of person, Estel."

The Ranger started at the use of his childhood name. There was a pause, and then he began his questions again.

"I heard you calling me on Weathertop. Your voice was clear as if you stood beside me, and yet you were too far away for me to hear even if I had the ears of an Elf. How could that be?"

"I have no idea. Ask Lord Elrond when we get to Rivendell," I said. _And if you forget, _I'll _ask. I'd like to know as well. Everything's turning out to be beyond strange._

Aragorn reached into his small pouch-thing and pulled out a small stone jar.

"This salve will relieve your pain and reduce the scarring. Your body will heal itself," he said.

"Thanks," I said and smiled.

A few minutes later, I was back in those shadows, applying the cream-stuff and silently thanking God, Aragorn and Eru that Rangers know herb lore. I'd just put the pot away in my pack when Frodo's mutterings began again. I put on my tattered shirt and walked back to the others, grimacing as my shoulder tingled with pricks of pain.

"Mr. Frodo?" Sad asked, but received no response. "He's going cold!" Sam called frantically to Aragorn. The Ranger was holding a torch of flame, and seemed like he was looking for something.

"Is he going to die?" Pippin asked wildly.

"Not if we can help it," I muttered.

"He is passing into the Shadow World," Aragorn said softly and sadly. "He'll soon become a wraith like them."

I covered my ears as the Black Rider's wail cut through the night right on cue. Talk about fantastic timing.

"The Nine Nazgûl and a Hobbit-wraith. Doesn't sound all that great," I sighed.

"They're close," Merry whispered.

"Sam?" Aragorn asked suddenly. The Hobbit appeared at his side immediately.

"Do you know of the athelas plant?" The Ranger asked. Sam's worried face turned into a puzzled frown.

"Athelas?"

"Obviously not," I said quickly.

"Kingsfoil?" Aragorn tried again.

"Kingsfoil…oh! It's a weed!" Sam exclaimed, not understanding.

"It may help to slow the poison," Aragorn said, handing Sam the torch. "Hurry!"

Sam left in a flash.

"I'll help," I said, stepping forward. Aragorn looked at me.

"Do you know of athelas?" he asked.

"I can recognize it," I said firmly. And I received my own flaming torch.

-----

"Is that it?" I asked, pointing to a plant. I was with Aragorn, since Merry and Pippin insisted that I have some protection in the dark. I was glad that they cared, even though I knew I could protect myself. At least, I thought I could. I hadn't done all that well on Weathertop, but that was excusable.

Aragorn examined the plant closely before shaking his head.

"Just something that resembles it, then," I grumbled to myself. Aragorn didn't say much, and I had to say something or I'd fall asleep from the deafening silence around us.

"Is _that_ it?" I said, indicating another kingsfoil look-alike.

"It is," Aragorn seemingly confirmed._ Well, why isn't he picking any?_

"Really?" I asked suspiciously.

"Not at all."

"Oh."

After a few more steps we entered a small clearing. It was similar to the many other clearings that we'd previously walked through, exceptI think that _this_ one had a few more trees. Maybe it didn't, I can't be too sure.

Aragorn rushed over to the far side of the clearing, and bent over to quickly look at a leafy ground-plant that looked exactly the sameas all the others I'd pointed out. I couldn't tell the difference, but then again, I'm not Aragorn. The man took out a knife and was just about to cut a handful when a shadow sprang from behind a tree and halted behind him. I saw a flash of light as a blade appeared at the Ranger's throat and a voice came out of the darkness.

"What's this? A Ranger caught off his guard?"

_Who is that?_ I wondered, stepping forward quietly. The figure still heard my footsteps and spun to face me.

_It's an Elf then,_ I thought. A shaft of moonlight caught the Elf's face and I recognized it instantly – Arwen.

"Strider, Frodo needs the athelas," I said impatiently to him.

"_Se náman_ (who is she?)" Arwen asked.

"_Náse Víralairë, í Elda-hína._ (She is Víralairë, the Elf-child)" Aragorn replied. Arwen nodded in understanding.

"_Who's_ an Elf-child?" I asked, confused. Arwen placed a hand on my shoulder.

"_Ada_ (father) will tell you what you wish to know," she said softly. "May I see Frodo?"

-----

I knelt down beside Lady Arwen, staring at the Hobbit's pale eyes. I shivered. He seemed to see right through us and into us at the same time. Freaky.

The Elf said some things in Elvish that I didn't quite catch, but I got the general drift from the movie.

Frodo seemed to hear her and turned his head. I found myself muttering, "he's going to be fine, he's going to be fine," over and over and shut my mouth with a snap. I seemed to be doing a lot of unconscious things in Middle-Earth. It was getting quite disturbing.

"Who is she?" Merry whispered to Sam.

"Frodo…" Arwen murmured. Aragorn began chewing the leaf of the kingsfoil and tucking the remainder of the plant in his pouch.

"She's an Elf," Sam replied with wonder.

"Yes, and a damn beautiful one at that," I muttered so no one but an Elf could hear. Arwen smiled slightly, but otherwise took no notice.

"He is fading," she said. Aragorn took the chewed leaf out of his mouth and pressed it into Frodo's wound. The Hobbit suddenly gasped and I jumped.

"He is not going to last," the Elf continued. "We must get him to my father."

I nodded hastily, even though thestatement wasn't directed at me. Aragorn picked up the Hobbit and set him upon Arwen's white horse that had appeared out of nowhere. I was starting to feel slightly slow-witted – things were happening too fast for me.

"Where are you taking him?" Merry questioned the Ranger and the Elf.

"To Rivendell," I replied, since the other two weren't answering. I stayed with the other Hobbits as Arwen and Aragorn held yet another discussion in Elvish.

"What are they saying?" Pippin asked.

"Stuff in Elvish," I answered again. Arwen finally got up on her mount.

"Ride hard, and don't look back," Aragorn said as his farewell. Arwen muttered to her horse in Elvish and galloped away. Aragorn turned back to us.

"Frodo will be safe now."

_I sure hope so,_ I thought.

"Now what do we do?" Pippin asked.

"We sleep," I said.

"And after that?"

"We do lots of walking."

**And that is the completion of another chapter. I have to finish there because I have about five assignments to finish by Monday. I must ask everyone: Once Legolas comes into the picture, should I make some of the story from his point if view? I really need to know, so answer in your review? Please? Otherwise I have to make the decision myself and I don't know if my thoughts agree with my reader's. Unlike Galadriel, I find it very hard to read people's minds. Bye for now! Please review! MAKE ME HAPPY:) :) :) :) :)**


	8. Rivendell! FINALLY!

**Holy shitake mushrooms! 19 reviews! I'm so happy! Lots of great things happened today! The reviews were one, and the other was that I remembered that I received 100 on BOTH my maths tests! I feel proud!**

**I'm really sorry that the updates are slow, but I have school. That should explain itself.**

**I also completed all Science assessment for the rest of the year! Now I have free time in Science (hopefully), music and English and can work on this! Yay!**

**Oh! This chappie's a fill in coz it's all my creation and doesn't have much in it from the movie. I also had writer's block in a lot of places so please don't hate me after this chapter – keep reading!**

**I love you's all for your reviews! Some of the responses will be short because I have a lot to go through. Please don't be angry…**

**E.Tphonehome: You will NEVER, EVER annoy me, and anyway, if you do it's neutralized by the fact that it's in a review! …I think reviews are becoming addictive… :)**

**Kat: Sorry, I don't feel like it. If you threaten me with something, maybe, but characters are mine alone to create, barring my cousins, of course. Thanks for reading:) :)**

**Fk306 animelover: S'okay, it was just an expression – I didn't really get a headache ;) Keep reading:)**

**Da Evil BEAN: NEXT CHAPTER SOON! PLEASE? Thanks for reading and reviewing, keep it up:)**

**Elocin (the one that is NOT my friend from school): Funny is good! It's supposed to be… My friend Elocin's name is really her own spelt backwards. Trying to reply to you two will be difficult… I know! I'll call my friend Elo, okay? You read the response that has Elocin on it and I won't get confused. Elo pronounces her name like yours. Keep reading:)**

**ArwenEvenstar83: She's NOT an Elf! I think I said that before… And yes, this fic is a Legomance. All (well some) will be revealed at Rivendell. They just have to get there. It's taking a while. Updating…soon! I hope:)**

**animebishielover: I do hope I spelt your name right. I know why you read it, even though you thought it would be dumb! It was… I haven't the slightest idea. I might've forgotten, but anyway… EXTREMELY glad you like it, and please keep reading:)**

**Laer4572: Luck! I need that:) Keep reading!**

**Lizanne89892: I'm glad you like it! More is coming:)**

**Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi: Wow. Long name. I'm ecstatic that you love this story – you make my fic and I VERY happy:)**

**Luthien and Tari Oronar: YES! I knew I'd forgotten something! Glorfindel! Darn! Will it be okay if I put him in this chapter instead? He might be a bit of a weird character though, coz he's only in the book that I know of. Thanks for your review:)**

**Lady Page:) Víra's point of view is the best, coz it's mine! lol. Elrond has BROWN hair? O.o are you sure? Keep reading:) :)**

**Elo: Hi! I'll write as fast as I can and you can read it when you read it. HA:)**

**Nasuada Moon: Ohhhhh! NOW I get it! lol. Thanks for explaining it to me. Keep reading:)**

**word junky: Yes! Constructive-critisizim-whatnot! Usually what my readers ask for they get – unless it totally ruins the plot. ;) Víra will get better, I promise – she's just adjusting to life on M-E, okay? You know, without luxuries and stuff…that reminds me – she really needs new clothes… Please keep reading, I really like your thoughts on ways to improve. :) :)**

**R.K. Binks: Yay! You're back! I'd wondered where you'd got to. Thanks for reading and I hope you review this one and don't leave again. :)**

**randomness: Mary-Sue stuff will stop. I promise. Keep reading:)**

**Danny: Frodo gets better – you know that! And I KNOW I have a lot of reviews:) Thanks again to you all! You're great! Danny, keep reading:)**

**Disclaimer: HA! I didn't forget this time! _Stuff is mine and stuff isn't mine – that's all there is to it._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 8: We FINALLY get to Rivendell, and I find out some stuff that doesn't really satisfy my curiosity but makes me happy anyway

-----

I sat on a rock away from the others, applying the salve to my strange burn. No events had occurred in the past few days and we were now just a few hours away from Rivendell – according to Aragorn. And I'd trust Aragorn's judgements with my life… I think.

The cream was working well, and my shoulder was healing fast – faster than what was normal anyway – and it'd stopped hurting long ago. It was yet another thing that I'd have to ask Lord Elrond about when we finally got to Rivendell. After all, Arwen _did_ say that he would tell me what I wanted to know.

"Lady Víra! We're leaving!" I heard Pippin call.

"Just a minute!" I replied. I quickly pulled my tattered shirt back on and ran back to the others just as Sam was packing his pack. I grabbed my own pack, and tugged the hood of my cloak over my head. And so we began to walk.

After a time, I began to fidget with nerves, and "what if" 's began to creep up on me. Most of them were along the lines of, "What if Frodo didn't survive?", but others were so self-centered that I wanted to forget them as soon as I'd thought them (some of these included, "I wonder if I look okay…" and "Oh crap. I hope I didn't interfere with anything like Galadriel told me not to". I suppose some weren't _that_ self-centered, but they still made me feel bad).

Pippin and Merry were whispering excitedly. I couldn't blame them – now that I'd seen one Elf, I wanted to meet more! They were so graceful, beautiful, charming, beautiful and Elf-like.

Well, how else would you describe them?

I was so lost in the random thoughts that were swirling through my head that I'd walked twenty paces ahead of everyone else before I realized that they'd all stopped. I halted, turned, and noticed that our group seemed much larger than it had been a few moments ago.

I stared…

And stared…

And blinked…

And stared…

And the new, long-haired additions to our group stared back at me. I smiled – an unusually _happy_ smile.

"Elves!" I yelled and ran back towards them with a scarily gleeful look on my face.

We had an Elfin escort! Yippee!

There were three of them that were assigned to escort us and they were all _tall!_

And good-looking, but that was beside the point.

I _could_ blab on about everything about them all day, down to their very last eyebrow hair, but that would become boring after a while – for the Hobbits and the Ranger, I mean. So we were just walking, and Aragorn was saying stuff in Elvish and I was staring at the fair folk with undisguised awe and trying to get my mind around what the Ranger was saying. Aragorn kept giving me looks the clearly said would-you-please-stop-looking-at-them-like-that?

"Yes mum," I said, and received strange looks from everyone… which was understandable, I guess.

"So," I began to break the silence that had ensured after the looks. "What do you need to escort us for?"

"It is polite to offer protection to guests," one of the Elves said with a frown. I have no idea how someone that gorgeous could manage to make a face like that, but anyway…

"If you say so," I said agreeably.

Merry – who was looking slightly less awed than the other two Hobbits – leaned towards me to whisper a question. I don't know why, because the Elves could probably hear him anyway.

"What are their names again?" the halfling asked. "I've forgotten."

"You two – " I sighed, indicating him and Pippin, " – are always forgetting something. That," I continued, pointing to the one who had answered my question earlier, "is Baráson. The other is his brother Garávon."

"And the last?" Merry asked. I frowned.

"Dunno. I didn't catch his name – "

"It is Glorfindel, _Elda-hína_," The golden-haired Elf replied and looked down at me.

"Oh," I said. _I should've guessed that,_ I scolded myself. "Why do you call me Elf-child?"

"_Glorfindel, se istaúyen, _(Glorfindel, she is not to know)" Aragorn said quickly.

"And why not?" I asked, folding my arms. The Ranger gave me another one of his looks and this one said: this-is-NOT-the-time-to-be-asking-questions-so-be-quiet!

He would make a _really_ good mother, believe me.

-----

The entrance to Rivendell was _huge!_ If I stood on top of myself ten times, I wouldn't even reach half way to the top of the arch!

…Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but it was still big!

As we walked underneath, I caught my breath as my eyes found themselves looking upon a wonderful sight.

And it wasn't just the Elves.

The buildings, the statues, the gardens…it was like falling into a fairytale! Which, incidentally, I had…nearly. Everything was carved with a complexity that would earn me more than an A+ in my woodwork at school. You could nearly hear the wondrous music that would be playing if this were some movie… I don't know – maybe the Elves could hear it.

We kept on walking through Rivendell with me staring at every little thing. We finally halted in some sort of Hall within the main building that was deserted of anything except the walls and us. I suppose the Elves didn't like this undecorated Hall without all the fancy stuff. I admit, after all we'd seen here in five minutes, this _was_ a disappointment.

"Garávon and Baráson will show you to your rooms as you must be tired," Glorfindel said in a very business-like tone that made him sound like a door attendant at some posh Motel. "Or would you like some refreshments first?"

At the word 'refreshments', Merry and Pippin looked up with bright eyes.

"If you two had tails they would be wagging!" I laughed. The two Hobbits grinned shamelessly although Sam just frowned.

"What about Mr. Frodo?" he asked, completely off the subject.

"He is being tended to by Lord Elrond as we speak," Glorfindel replied.

"The Lord of Rivendell?"

"The very same."

Sam looked _much_ more cheerful after that fact was established.

There was a long pause that Glorfindel broke by ushering us all towards a door that would obviously lead to our rooms.

"Food will be brought," the Elf added as Pippin looked at him wistfully. The Hobbit smiled. The elven brothers started to lead my companions through the door. I began to head after them but was stopped by a hand on my shoulder.

"Not you _Elda-hína_," Glorfindel said softly. "You are wanted elsewhere."

He led me through another archway-door, down a hallway, up a flight of stairs, through a few more doors, past an extremely large chamber and into another, and then into a small room. It had a desk, some chairs and a large archway leading to a rooftop garden. Elves seemed to like arches.

"Because they're so much better than squares," I mumbled.

"And what would you be referring to?" Glorfindel asked as he sat down in one of the chairs.

"Arches," I replied, blushing. _I have to watch what I'm saying,_ I reminded myself sternly. _Remember that these Elves have super-hearing Rosalie!_

Glofindel gave me such a strange look that I wondered if he'd learnt it from Aragorn.

"Don't mind me," I said hastily and changed the topic. "What am I wanted here for?"

"Lord Elrond said that he wished to speak to you as soon as you arrived."

-----

And so we waited. Joy.

So…I fidgeted. And asked questions.

"Why do you call me _Elda-hína_?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you that."

"Why not?"

"It…is not the right time."

"Okay… Are you old?"

"Older than you are," Glorfindel chuckled. Wait… _chuckled?_ I puzzled over that for a while.

"Can I get some new clothes?" I asked finally.

Glorfindel looked at me. "Why are you asking me that?"

"I dunno. I just need some," I said, shrugging.

"By the looks of things, you do too," the Elf muttered.

"Pardon?" I asked suspiciously.

Glorfindel cleared his throat…and said nothing – so I followed suit.

But that got boring.

"Can I go outside?"

"Will you halt your questions?"

"Maybe…"

The Elf frowned.

"Okay, okay, I will," I said in a rush.

"Then you may go."

It seemed to me that the garden had a lot of plants that defied gravity. I mean, there was this enormous flower-thing that was about three times my height and its stem was thinner than my wrist. Everything was so strange here in Middle-Earth.

I walked over to the edge railings and looked over. Wow. It was a LONG way down – lucky I'm not afraid of heights. _This is giving me a strange sense of deja-vous…_ I thought. And then I remembered. _This is like when I fell…_

I stood there frozen, until a hand on my shoulder made me jump.

"Is Lord Elrond here, Glorfindel?" I asked without turning around.

"He is here," a voice-that-was-not-Glofindel's replied. I spun around and came face to face with the Lord of Rivendell.

"Um…hi," I said weakly after a long silence. Elrond nodded in acknowledgement and gestured back towards the small room.

"Would you care to step inside?" he asked and strode back across the rooftop garden. I followed.

Once we were back inside and seated, Elrond dismissed Glofindel. The Elf looked at me once before he disappeared out the door, and mouthed "behave".

I don't know why, it wasn't as if I was going to pester the Elf Lord or anything…

Or maybe I was. You never can tell.

Elrond stared at me for so long that I wondered if I had something offensive on my face. My hand unconsciously crept up to my nose and began rubbing it before I quickly forced it back into my lap. The Elf Lord finally changed his posture and smiled.

"First of all, I welcome you to Middle-Earth. You are called Víralairë?" he asked.

"Thanks. And yes, but that's only my Elfin name," I answered.

"Then you birth name is Rosalie?"

"Yes."

"I see. And you know who I am?"

I snorted. "Of course! You're Elrond, Lord of Rivendell."

"And you knew this before you ever came here didn't you?" Elrond asked quietly.

"Yes." I began to wonder where this was leading.

"And you know of Aragorn son of Arathorn?"

I hesitated and then said, "Yes, he's known to the Hobbit's as Strider."

Elrond folded his arms and rested them on the table.

"You are not of Elvin origin?" he asked.

"Not that I know of," I answered. "Although I _do _look like one."

_Aren't _I_ supposed to be asking the questions?_ I thought.

"Then you are she," Elrond muttered, looking away.

"What?" I asked. He turned back.

"The _Elda-Hína,_" he said.

I rolled my eyes in exasperation.

"Everyone seems to know why I'm called that except _me_," I said loudly, then sighed. "Will you tell me?"

Elrond spread his hands in a gesture of apology. "It is not for you to know – yet. The Lady of Lothlórien asked us not to let you know for your own well-being."

"But – " my protests were silenced by a wave of the Elf's hand.

"The Lady told me you would not be satisfied," Elrond said, smiling slightly. "So she asked that I tell you this to give your curiosity something to think upon:

_From the dark and light will come gray,_

_Powerful but tainted it will be._

_Unknowing but caring,_

_Unthinking but with knowledge._"

There was a pause while I carefully memorized the lines. They made no sense but I'd figure them out later. I liked riddles – if this was a riddle.

"That's it?" I asked finally. Elrond nodded.

"Is it my turn now?" I asked impatiently. The Elf nodded again.

"How come I heal?" I asked in a rush.

"I cannot tell you."

"Darn. How come I look like I'm one of you people?"

"I am not allowed to say," Elrond said, beginning to smile again.

"Okay… Why am I in Middle-Earth anyway?"

"Only Lady Galadriel can answer that."

I unsuccessfully tried to hide my irritation and cursed under my breath. _What's the point in coming here to fulfill a purpose if no one's going to tell me what that purpose is!_ I thought angrily.

"If it's any consolation," Elrond began. I looked at him eagerly, even though what he was about to say might _not_ be a consolation.

"I can inform you that you that you can make light and other things."

I sighed in defeat.

"How is that supposed to make me feel any better?" I asked him. "I can make light any old day – I just need some matches or a flint…" I trailed off as Elrond began to shake his head.

"Not like that," he said. "Hold your hand out in front of you, palm up and close your eyes."

I did as I was told, feeling very stupid. I felt like I was begging for money or something similar.

"Now, look inside yourself…"

"Look Lord Elrond: maybe Elves can do that but my eyes won't let me," I said opening my eyes, all the while thinking _he kinda sounds like a hippie…_

He looked like he was about to tell me something important, but then thought better of it. Hey! I'm starting to read people's faces!

"She will find out in time," Elrond muttered then said to me, "I meant _spiritually_. Look inside yourself to find you inner soul."

"Now you _really_ sound like a hippie."

"A what?" Elrond asked in a startled voice.

"Nevermind and don't ask. Continue." I didn't really see what he was trying to tell me but I think this was better than offending the Lord of Rivendell who could call for guards at an instant and have me thrown out. Not that I think he would actually do that – I think my imagination might drugged. It must be all the Elves about the place.

"If you…" Elrond began again.

_If you cannot follow his direction, follow mine._

I snapped my eyes open and looked around the room for the extra occupant.

_Child, I'm not in the room, or anywhere at Rivendell,_ the voice said in an amused tone.

"Close your eyes Víralairë," Elrond said sternly.

"Yes sir," I said and obeyed.

_Now listen to me,_ the voice said calmly and I finally recognized it – Galadriel.

Galadriel?

_Galadriel?_ I thought.

_Yes, it is I child,_ she said/thought. I'm going with stick with said.

_What do I do?_

_Empty your mind of all thought,_ she instructed.

It sounded like a meditation lesson I'd once done it in HPE, so I just did the same as I'd done then. One Empty mind coming up.

_Then think of a small point of light._

That was easy enough.

_Imagine the light growing larger and larger… when it fills your previously empty mind, reach inside it – mentally – and pull out a small speck of blue._

This was beginning to get more difficult.

_Help me!_ I thought frantically.

_No. You must do this on your own, Elda-hína._

Lucky me.

I concentrated like I was currently doing a really hard maths sum and managed to see a speck of bluey-green in my mind's eye.

_Galadriel? The speck's not blue._

_What colour is it then?_

_It's turquoise._

_Good. You are stronger than I thought,_ she said.

_Stronger at what? _I asked.

_You will find out in time. Now concentrate,_ Galadriel said firmly.

Yes mum.

_Imagine that the speck of turquoise is a speck of energy. Think of that energy flowing into your arms and forming a ball of light._

To my surprise, I felt warmth seeping into my hands. I opened my eyes and found a glowing orb dancing happily in my outstretched palm. Elrond had stopped saying his unheard instructions and was staring at me.

_Thanks Galadriel._

_You are welcome child. Well done._

"Now I can be a nightlight for some random person in the Fellowship," I said, panting. Jeez! Energy concentration is hard work!

_Galadriel? _I asked, but received no answer – she'd left my head.

Smiling, the Elf Lord looked at me.

"Well done," he repeated Galadriel's words.

"Thank – " I began but stopped mid-word and stiffened. My light went out. Elrond got up and stepped over to my side of the desk.

"What's the matter, Víralairë?" he asked in a concerned tone.

I slowly turned to him and smiled.

"Nothing," I replied. "But I've a feeling Frodo is healed and awake."

**Oh yeah, Elo dared me to tell you all that I actually had that _atrial septal defect_ thing that I put in the last chapter – so I am. And it's true. And I do have a scar down the middle of my chest. There.**

**Sorry if the fic's a bit boring or muddling but I tried my best with a dizzy head and a cold. The next update will be within a week, coz I have free time now in school. Questions will be answered and reviews appreciated with many, many, many, many, MANY hugs. :) :) :) :) Mum's gonna kill me if I don't have a shower and go to bed, so nite an' REVIEW! Love ya's all!**


	9. Of gowns and sleep

**I'm back! And FINALLY school is OVER for the year! Yippee! Watching new DVD's is FUN! Especially if they're LOTR Extended Edition! I call it my SHINY – don't ask… FunfunFunfun!**

**Oh yeah, if you hadn't noticed, Víra's not going to be a Mary-Sue. I can't make a perfect alter-ego me…I must have some problems inside my authoress mind… **

**Anyway… to explain something that my friend said to me, Víra and I don't call Elves gorgeous coz we love them all, we call them that because they're...well…Elves. When you're obsessed with anything, you don't really need reasons to call the obsession/s names and I admit – I'm obsessed.**

**My computer had a damned virus so please don't be cranky that this wasn't up sooner, OK? And if anyone's confused as to why she looks like an Elf it'll all be explained at Lothlórien. I think. Once they get there. I said that before.**

**Thanks to Aerlinniel (I do like your name), Elocin, Eleanor (your _favourite?_ Wow!) and all my other reviewers anonymous or not. I'm not allowed to respond to your reviews anymore – which sucks. Some people ask really good questions that need answering! I'll try my best to answer them in the intros though.**

**Disclaimer: _I own EVERYTHING! Not. Just the stuff that b__elongs to me and NOBODY'S ALLOWED TO STEAL IT! GOT THAT?_**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 8: Dresses and feasts are always good…and sleep…

-----

"Lord Elrond," Glofindel said, appearing at the door. "I'm sorry to interrupt but you asked to be informed when the halfling awakened."

"I could've sworn I just said that," I told nobody in particular.

Glorfindel looked at me but didn't say anything. Strange Elf. Not the talkative type I suppose.

Elrond stood, pushing his chair back without a sound. When Glorfindel glanced at me again, I realized that I was supposed to stand up if the Elf Lord did. I gave the golden-haired Elf a glare that said I'm-not-well-aquainted-with-your-ways-of-courtesy-so-don't-you-dare-get-cranky.

But I did stand, knocking my chair over with a very undignified smash in the process and receiving another glare from Glorfindel.

_Is itmy fault that I happen to be myself who is, incidentally, not as graceful as an Elf?_ I thought angrily as I picked up the offending chair. Elves and their neatness.

"I must see to Frodo," Elrond stated. "Víralairë, I will leave you with Glorfindel. Ask him for anything you might need, and stay out of trouble. I have also been told to warn you to use your words wisely."

And exit Elf Lord with the weird eyebrows.

_Use your words wisely? What did that mean? Oh well…_

"Hey!" I exclaimed, looking up at Glofindel. "I've got myself an Elvin looking-aftery person!"

Was it just me, or did I see the gorgeous golden-haired Elf wince?

I grinned. It wasn't as if I was going to _torture_ the poor thing.

-----

"Why do I have to take care of _you_ of all beings Eldar-hína?" Glorfindel muttered, shaking his head.

"I sincerely hope that you said that in good humour Elf," I said glaring at him.

"I did. Have no fear."

"Fear of what? The golden-haired Elf beside me sticking an arrow through my head? You wouldn't do that."

We'd already done the 'Tour of Rivendell' thing and were currently walking the length of one of its gardens. I asked a lot of annoying questions which is probably what provoked Glorfindel's earlier statement. I hadn't seen either the Hobbits or Aragorn since whenever, but I'd guess that they'd be sleeping. The Hobbits at least. I was beginning to feel the full extent of the previous six days walking as well. Damn tiredness – pops up at the most unexpected times.

"Glorfindel, do I have a room?" I asked.

"Yes – "

"Can you take me there?I need to sleep," I said yawning.

"I am surprised you have not realized it sooner," a soft voice spoke from behind us. Turning around we saw Arwen standing there. The she-Elf's eyes stared at me for a long while until I yawned again.

"Glorfindel, _ni selma tíre í Elda-hína_ (I will watch the Elf-child)," she said softly and took me by my arm, steering me out of the garden and into a hallway.

"Bye!" I called back over my shoulder. _That was quite abrupt, Arwen,_ I thought, as I turned to face her. Which was difficult as we were currently walking – or in my case stumbling. That's what it feels like to walk sleepily beside an Elf whose every movement is graceful.

"Come," was the only explanation she gave before leading me on a long and complicated trip through Rivendell that ended outside yet another archway door.

"This will be your room while you are in my father's care," Arwen said and pushed open the door.

"Wow."

The first thing I saw was – understandably – the bed, because I was so tired. The room was simply decorated (to my relief) and contained a wardrobe, a desk, the bed (_my_ bed), a small room off to the side that made it remind me of a motel (it had a bath and washstand and stuff) and my own rooftop garden (complete with growing things, like plants, and a fountain – yay! I like fountains!).

"I hope that this pleases you," Arwen said to me as I walked over to my bed and seated myself upon it.

"Very much. Thanks," I said to her.

"The evening feast is a few hours away," Arwen began, "I suggest that you rest then refresh yourself and change your clothing."

I looked at my feet in embarrassment. I'd forgotten about my torn clothes. Stupid me. Arwen just smiled.

"Do not worry, spare garments are within your wardrobe. Someone will be sent to get you ready and to collect you in three hours. _Namárie_ (farewell)," she said and swept gracefully out of the room, closing my door. No matter how many times I've seen Elves do that it still awes me. The sweeping gracefully not the closing of doors.

_Small things amuse small minds, _I thought with a smile before laying my head on my pillow and falling immediately into a deep – and much deserved – sleep.

-----

I sat upright with a jolt as somebody knocked on my door. Ouch! Damn jolting hurts your neck.

"Who is it?" I grumbled. I _hate_ it when people wake me up and hurt me! It happens often enough to get annoying.

"I am Aduial, Elda-hína. Lady Arwen sent me," a female voice called.

"Come in then."

The she-Elf that entered had long dark hair much like Arwen's and her eyes were wise and gray – like all Eves' eyes, I guess. A few moments passed before I realized I was staring at her and mumbled an apology. She accepted it and went over to my wardrobe.

"Have you decided what you will be wearing?" she asked with her hand on the catch.

"No," I answered. "Was I supposed to?"

"Yes."

"Oh," I said unhelpfully.

"I will help you decide," Aduial said and tugged on the doorhandle. The door wouldn't budge. She tugged again. Nup, same result.

"Here, let me help – _palya_ (open)." The Elvish word slipped out and Aduial stumbled back as the door she was straining against unstuck itself and flung open. Stupid, inconsiderate wardrobe doors. The she-Elf ended up sprawled gracefully on the stone floor. I don't know how she managed that, but suchare the qualities of the Elvin race.

"Oops. I don't know how I did that but sorry," I said to her as she looked up at me with astonishment. I laughed at her expression and held out my hand to help her up. She accepted it and gracefully regained her feet then dusted herself off, turning to me.

"Did Lord Elrond not tell you to be careful when using Elvish?" she asked sternly.

_Oh… THAT'S what he meant when he said 'use your words wisely',_ I realized.

"He might've mentioned it – and anyway, how was I supposed to have know that Elvish has that effect on wardrobe doors?" I asked.

"On _everything_," Aduial corrected. "But – " she shut her mouth with a snap.

"You weren't supposed to tell me that, were you?" I asked slowly while thinking: _My words effect _everything_? Cool!_ The she-Elf shook her head in answer to my spoken question.

"Doesn't matter. I'll forget that you told me that if you want," I offered. "Now, where were we? That's right – clothes."

Aduial breathed out in relief. Maybe she would've got into trouble if anyone found that she'd told me what she'd told me. To me it didn't really seem that big a deal. But that might just be me.

The she-Elf turned to my now opened wardrobe and began pulling out pieces of clothing.

"There are many garments for you to choose from, Elda-hína," she told me as she laid three or four bundles of clothing down on my bed. I stared at them.

"Are these _dresses?_" I asked in amazement. Aduial stopped what she was doing and gave me an amused look.

"What else would they be?" she asked me, taking in the tatters I was wearing in one swift glance. "More of…_those_?"

"It's not _that. _I mean, look!" I exclaimed as I grabbed one and held it up in front of me. The cloth fell – no, _floated_ – from my fingertips in waves of pale green and blue – and there were _diamonds_ glittering and dangling from the neckline and the waist Lots of them! This must be worth a fortune! And I had tons of them!

"This can't be real!" I said, unbelieving. "There's too much…too much…" I frowned in thought.

"Delicate beauty?" Aduial put in, smiling. I nodded mutely in agreement. "Then it may or may not surprise you to know that that gown used to belong to me."

"It was yours?" I asked.

"That is what I said."

"Wow," I said and looked at her. "But it would've paled in comparison to the Elf that owned it."

Aduial blushed and smiled her thanks. I smiled back knowing that I had just made a female friend.

That was quick - it only took me a day.

"What were you told to call me?" I asked finally, fearing the worst.

"I was given no name," Aduial replied. "But all Elves know you as the _Elda-hína_."

Thank God that it wasn't 'Lady' anything.

"Please call me Víra, Aduial."

-----

Aduial had drawn me a bath and I had thankfully relaxed myself into it while the she-Elf fussed over what I was going to wear. When my shoulder touched the heated water I bit my lip to hold back a string of curses. It stung! I eventually eased it into the bath all the while wishing that it would keep healing at the fast rate it was going.

A while later I was washed and dressed. Aduial eventually chose her old gown for me to wear, and thank Eru that she was there to help me into the thing or I would've ended up putting it on upside down, because believe me – it was that complicated. _And_ she wouldn't let me near a mirror until she had done my hair. I felt like a dress-up doll.

"There," Aduial said, steering me over to the mirror. Finally! I was beginning to think that the evening meal would be over by the time she'd finished.

"Víra," the she-Elf said and I snapped out of my thoughts to stare at the mirror.

"Who's she?" I asked numbly, pointing at my reflection. Unsurprisingly, my reflection pointed back at me. The gown I was wearing was light (which surprised me because of all the material) and its hem brushed the floor. It had those long, flowing sleeves that you always see Arwen wearing and, thankfully, didn't hug the shape of my body. I hate clothing that does that.

My reflection was also staring back as me with bright blue-green eyes.

"She is you Víra."

"Nup. Can't be. I don't have turquoise eyes," I murmured.

"Yes, you do," Aduial said in confusion. "They have been that way since I first saw you."

"Really?" I asked. "Well, they used to be only blue… Why are we discussing the colour of my eyes?"

"I know not."

"And aren't we supposed to be at dinner?"

"Yes."

"Then let's get a move on!" I said, grabbing Aduial's hand and dragging her over to the door. I was lucky she was with me because I couldn't get anywhere without her. I'd loose my way before I walked three steps.

-----

We entered a hall that I recognized as the one that had been empty earlier. It wasn't as empty anymore – in fact, it wasn't empty at all. There were Elves and a few Dwarves and my Hobbit friends and Gandalf. The wizard was sitting on one side of Elrond at the head of an extremely long table that filled most of the space in the room. My wonderful golden-haired friend Glorfindel was sitting on the other side of the Elf Lord.

As soon as everyone saw me the stopped what they were doing – which was either talking or eating – and _stared_.

"Do Ilook weird or something, Aduial?" I whispered, knowing full well that all the Elves in the room would be able to hear me.

"You look nothing more or less than the Elda-hína," she whispered back. "That is why they look upon you in silence."

_This is getting quite frustrating,_ I thought. _Having a name that means something to everybody but myself is bad enough, but now everyone seems to know something _about_ me that I don't! It's extremely disturbing!_

As I slowly walked with Aduial through the group of Elves and others, everyone gradually went back to what they'd been doing – much to my relief.

Gandalf stood up and strode over to greet us.

"Good evening Lady Víralairë, Lady Aduial," he said politely and turned to me. "If I might have a brief word?"

I nodded. "Of course… If that's okay with Aduial."

Aduial nodded her acceptance and walked away to find us some drinks.

"First of all lass, I thank you for looking after the Hobbit's on your way to Bree. Secondly, forgive me for not trusting you earlier," the wizard said. "I did not know who or what you were then."

"It sounds like you think I'm some strange breed of animal, Gandalf," I said with a smile.

"Not at all. You are the Elda-hína," the wizard stated.

"As everyone keeps telling me." _I am thoroughly fed up with that name._

"Lord Elrond asks that I also tell you that your knowledge would be a great asset in the days to come, and – "

"Don't bother asking me to join the Fellowship, Gandalf," I interrupted. "I'll go with them – to Lothlórien at least. Curiosity has always been a weakness of mine and I'd like to know the meaning of that verse Elrond gave me."

The wizard looked relieved but quickly hid it behind a smile.

"You know that there will be a Fellowship?" he asked.

"Yes."

"And you know who will bear the One Ring?"

"Yes."

"Good. Here comes your Elfin friend. I will leave you with her," he said and left.

"Well, I'm glad that's cleared up," I muttered.

"Pardon Víra?" Aduial questioned, as she came up behind me.

"It's nothing," I said as she handed me a cup. I sniffed its contents warily. The she-Elf laughed.

"Do not worry yourself, Víra. It is known to the Elves that the Elda-hína cannot drink wine."

_How?_ I wondered dryly. _Next they'll tell me that they know what colour underwear I was wearing on my birthdayten years ago._

"That's a relief," I said out loud. "What's this then?"

"Lemon tea."

"Oh," I said. _I wish they had softdrink of some sort. I don't have a reaction to that._

-----

After the feast was over, Elrond and Arwen led the way through doors and passages to the Hall of Fire (weird name) where Elves were going to sing and play for everyone. As if the fair race wasn't talented enough already, they had to go and bless our ears with their music! Jeez!

Aduial tapped me on the shoulder just as I'd found somewhere to sit.

"I'm to sing, Víra," she told me. "You do not mind it if I leave you?"

"No," I assured her. Then added, "I'd like to hear you sing actually."

"You will soon enough, Elda-hína," someone said from behind me.

"Sneak," I whispered. I knew who it was.

"A sneak I am not," Glorfindel replied. "The race of Elves can – "

" – walk without sound. I know," I told him. "I wish I could do that."

"You might – " Aduial began but was silenced with a glance from Glorfindel.

"I apologize. You are not to know," she muttered.

_Great._ I thought dryly.

"Go and sing, Lady Aduial," Glorfindel said and then added almost inaudibly, "And learn to keep a hold on your words."

The she-Elf bowed her head stiffly and walked away to add her voice to the many Elves already singing.

"That was mean, Glorfindel," I said to him.

"What do you speak of?" he asked. I looked at him to make sure he wasn't joking. He wasn't.

_Are all males of every race this clueless?_ I thought in disbelief.

"Nevermind," I murmured as Aduial began to sing and I began to pay attention. And now I know what Middle-Earthians find so wondrous about Elvish music. It'sparticularly _dreamy._

"And ethereal," I whispered. _Darn,_ I thought. _Those words aren't the right ones to describe it._

But I did know one thing. The music in the movies at home didn't even come close. I don't think any music could. The sweet melody was gradually making me sleepy and I yawned.

"I'm tired," I said to the golden-haired Elf.

"But you woke not three hours ago!" he said with astonishment.

"So? I'm still tired."

"Then I will take you to your room Elda-hína. Come, let me inform Lord Elrond of your departure."

Glorfindel towed me over to the Elf Lord and I sleepily asked if I could leave. Elrond said I could even though he frowned when he spoke. I suppose I was supposed to have remained there to be polite. Or stand there and let the Elves stare at me all night. Or both.

"You must rise early as I would like you to be at the council, Víralairë. Sleep well," the Elf Lord finally said.

I struggled to keep my eyes open as Glorfindel led me back through Rivendell's maze to my room. I don't remember getting there. I must've fallen asleep.

Carried to bed by a golden-haired Elf. Joy. I probably snored.

**Finally. I'm done. And I'm sooooooo tired. It must be the Elvish music floating around in my head from the fic. I have no school for the next six weeks so I'm definitely free to write more of this. I won't set a date for the next chappie coz I've missed the last few. It's just to be safe. Later on in the story I might have to switch back and forth from Víra and Legolas and/or third person so the story makes sense. It's for the benefit of you readers, so what do you think? Víra and Elfy? Or Víra and narrator's point of view? I think I asked this before, but anyway…**

**Tell me how you liked Aduial. She's a minor character but she's an Elf. My obsessions are getting the better of me. Many things to do (like sleeping and breathing), so… _Namarie!_ And please review! I'm trying to get at least one more than last time before I update again:) :)**


	10. And why shouldn't I go?

**Hi people! My story now has over 1000 hits! It would probably have more but the counter kept resetting itself. My fic is quite proud of itself.**

**And I'm not complaining or anything, but AGAIN I seem to have an extreme case of reviewless readers. If you read this please, PLEASE review! I like to know what you think about the fic and whether or not there needs to be any improvements. It also gives me a reason to keep typing with my imagination switched on – otherwise you'll all end up with a fic nobody wants to read.**

**Apart from that: thanks to everyone for reading! Readers that review get telepathic hugs and smiles and new chapters. I love you all and you all make me happy. Special thanks to got-lotr – a new reviewer. I think I said thanks already but THANKS AGAIN!**

**I'm extremely glad that everybody liked Aduial. I wasn't too sure that I'd done the right thing, but I see that it turned out OK. I had to have another female character in there besides the original ones – like Arwen – or I reckon Víra would've gone nuts!**

**Anyway…**

**Disclaimer: If I must. _Lord Of The Rings is too great a creation for me to have had any part in it. I regrettably announce that the previous fact is true. Sob._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 10: Councils are way too early in the morning and Men of Gondor annoy me

-----

"Víra!" I heard a soft voice calling. "You must awaken!"

"Aduial?" I asked sleepily.

"Yes – it is I."

"Good. You're one of the beings I can tell to leave me alone. I'm _sleeping_ if you hadn't noticed," I grumbled.

"You _were_," she corrected, yanking the bedcovers off the bed and making me curl up into a ball. Aduial had changed me into a nightgown while I was resting. At least, I hoped that it'd been her and not some unknown Elf. It'd better have been her.

"Your presence is required for the Council," Aduial continued firmly. "I was sent to ready you."

"I'd better get up then," I sighed. As I rolled off the bed and stood to face Aduial, I noticed the she-Elf's eyes constantly darting to my shoulder.

"Yes," I said to her. "Nazgûl can be quite nasty."

"I was worried for you when I saw it, but you are not hurt," she said calmly. Her eyes showed her relief. "I have set out a new piece of clothing for you to wear. The Council commences within the hour, so now you should be bathing and dressing yourself."

_Or rather,_ I thought with amusement as the she-Elf helped me into a white Elfin gown. You_ will be dressing myself._

-----

"Make haste!" Aduial said when she had finished brushing my hair. She left it down so it fell past my shoulders and covered my ears. "You will be late! It will have started without you!"

And so I was dragged throughout Rivendell once again, finally coming to a halt outside an archway. And guess what – it looked _exactly_ the same as all the other arches. Isn't that strange?

"I am not allowed to be at the Council, Víra," Aduial said quietly in my ear. "But beyond this threshold is the place where the meeting is being held. Hurry or you will be late!"

_So what if I'm late?_ I said to myself, but obeyed the she-Elf and managed to walk as quickly as my clothing would allow – which was quite fast considering I was wearing a dress.

As I neared the balcony, I heard Elrond's commanding voice saying, "Strangers from distant lands, friends of old – "

I chose this moment to enter the ring of people making Elrond halt in his speech and everyone turn to stare at me. Yes, I know – tact isn't one of my strong points.

"And the young female who interrupts this Council," the Elf Lord added with a smile. So he _did_ have a sense of humour. "Please be seated Lady Víralairë." He gestured towards an empty chair beside Aragorn. I politely thanked him and took the seat that was offered. Everyone except Elrond, Frodo, Gandalf, Aragorn and Glorfindel (yep, he was there too) kept staring at me, making me feel quite uncomfortable. I think it was because I was female and looked a bit out of place.

"Um, aren't we all supposed to be listening to Lord Elrond?" I asked, relaxing when my voice didn't squeak. All these grown Men, Elves and Dwarves looks were _scary._ I gave Elrond a pleading look and he cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention back to him. For the moment.

"You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor," Elrond continued. I stopped listening because I knew what he was going to say and instead I glared at all the pairs of eyes that shifted their gaze to me every once in a while. A certain Man of Gondor had the most frequent stares and it was beginning to tick me off. Damn Boromir – he'd better quit doing that.

"Bring forth the Ring, Frodo," Elrond said and gestured towards the stone table-thing in the middle of the council. The Hobbit got up slowly and walked forward to place the Ring upon it.

"So it is true," Boromir whispered with awe. _Awe?_ I thought. _I must've heard that wrong._

Frodo slumped back in his chair. I gave him a sympathetic look, but he didn't see it. That's the trouble with knowing what's going to happen – you feel sorry before you're supposed to. Poor Frodo.

Damn Ring. It was whispering again. I quickly covered my ears but it didn't help. It was so _loud_.

"Someone shut it up," I growled under my breath. _I'm positive that its chatter wasn't _this_ loud before._ Aragorn gave me a quick glance then shifted his gaze to Boromir as the man stood. Vision time. Joy.

"In a dream," Boromir began. "I saw the eastern sky grow dark…but in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying: _your doom is near at hand. Isildur's Bane is found._" he walked forward towards the Ring, his hand outstretched.

_Great,_ I thought. _It's already caught hold. I wish I could help him but I'm not allowed to interfere! Damn!_

"Isildur's Bane," Boromir murmured.

Boromir!" Elrond yelled, standing up. At the same time I yelled, "_Ata_! (Back!)" and Gandalf started chanting in the Black Speech.

His words seemed to cast a shadow over Rivendell and echoed from everywhere – including the Ring. Copycat. I didn't get to see if my command had any effect on Boromir because the Ring's voice ringing through my head was making me dizzy. I glanced at the stone table with my hands over my ears and froze – surrounding the Ring was a dark ball of flame that flickered with blue-green lightning. It seemed to me like thick, cord-like tendrils were reaching out from the stone table, most of them going towards Boromir.

_I can feel the Ring's dark power,_ I suddenly realized with shock. _And see it._

Strangely enough, the power made my skin tingle. It resonated beautiful evil – if that's even possible.

I blinked when Gandalf's chant ended and the ball of flame vanished. I sat in my chair breathing shakily without listening to the conversation that was going on around me. What _was_ that thing I'd seen? It certainly wasn't in the movie…or the books. Maybe I was going nuts.

"Did you see that?" I finally thought to ask in a whisper to Aragorn.

"What do you speak of?" the Ranger muttered back, frowning.

"That round ball thing with the tentacles…" seeing his disbelieving face I trailed off and shook my head. "Never mind, Aragorn."

Ah…It's such a relief to finally be able to call him that out loud. Although, by the way everyone's been acting about who I am, I would've been _allowed_ to call him that without arousing stupid suspicions. I wish someone had told me that sooner.

"The Ring is altogether evil," Gandalf was saying. I hadn't even realized that he'd been talking. Oops. That was impolite.

Just as Gandalf had turned to sit back down Boromir spoke up again.

"It is a gift!" he said, then stood. "A gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this Ring? Long has my father the Lord of Gondor kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy! Let us use it against him!"

Wow. That was a long speech.

"You cannot wield it!" Aragorn interrupted. "None of us can!"

"No one ever said a truer word," I muttered, getting a slight smile from the Ranger and a stern look from Elrond and the other Elves. I keep forgetting that they can hear a pin drop a mile away.

"The One Ring answers to Sauron alone," Aragorn continued. "It has no other master."

"And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" Boromir asked with a sneer.

"This is no mere Ranger," said an Elf, standing up. It was Legolas, obviously.

"He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn," I added, stealing the Elf's lines. I like stealing lines.

"You owe him your allegiance," Legolas said.

Boromir turned to Aragorn with a look of disbelief on his face.

"Aragorn? _This_ is Isildur's heir?" he asked with bewilderment. Beside me, the Ranger drew himself up defiantly.

"And heir to the throne of Gondor," the Mirkwood Elf added. Aragorn told him to sit down.

"Gondor has no king," Boromir said slowly, looking at Aragorn. "Gondor needs no king."

"That's what you think!" I yelled at him, standing up. Aragorn grabbed my arm and pulled me back into my chair.

"And who are you, girl, to talk to the son of the Steward like that?" Boromir asked me before sitting down again.

"I am _Lady_ Víralairë, Boromir, son of the Steward," I said to him. _And I have every right to talk to anyone and way I want to,_ I thought angrily.

"Be silent, Elda-hína!" Elrond ordered.

"If you say so," I said agreeably. At the mention of my other name, all the Elves stopped looking at Boromir and instead turned to me. I glared at them. _I'm getting sick of people staring at me,_ I thought.

"Aragorn is right," Gandalf announced. "We cannot use it."

I sighed and rested my head in my hands. This Council was _boring_. I knew what was going to happen so why did I have to come? And why was I the only one that could see that…that _thing_? That ball of darkness surrounding the Ring? And how come whenever I speak in Elvish weird things keep happening? _And why the hell does everyone, excepting me, know who I am and what I'm supposed to be here for?_ I thought, clenching my fists in my lap. _Why is everything so frustrating?_

"And can someone please make that thing be quiet!" I shouted. The Ring had begun its extra loud whisperings again. Elrond frowned at me while everyone else was content to look…or glare in the case of some people.

"You should not interrupt this Council for trivial matters, Elda-hína!" he shouted. Well…not _shouted_ exactly, but he raised his voice.

"There is but little sound coming from the Ring, my lady," Boromir said with a hint of a smirk.

"And unless you have hearing that matches that of an Elf, Víra," Aragorn said softly. "The whisperings should not disturb you."

"Well they do disturb me. They're _loud_," I grumbled, folding my arms. But I obediently sat back quietly and listened…and began to get bored again. And dizzy. Damn that Ring! So instead of listening I began musing over the poem Elrond had given me to take my mind off the Ring's noise. It worked, until everyone got up and started arguing, causing me to snap out of my thoughts.

I watched Frodo watch everyone and decide on his decision. Randomly, I realized that I hadn't talked to him since he got stabbed on Weathertop. Oops. The Hobbit stood up slowly.

"I will take it," he announced.

And everyone…kept arguing.

Aren't they so polite?

"Will you people, Dwarves and Elves shut up and listen!" I shouted.

And all that I got from that was a few scowls from the Elves.

"I will take it!" Frodo tried again. This time, everyone's earplugs popped out and they stopped to listen, unlike earlier.

"I will take the Ring to Mordor," Frodo continued. "Though, I do not know the way."

"Well, it can't be that hard to find," I noted. "One gigantic fiery mountain, one huge tower with a fiery eye perched on top of it and thousands of orcs swarming around inside."

Understandably, everyone chose to ignore me.

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins," Gandalf said. "As long as it is yours to bear."

"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will," Aragorn said, standing then kneeling in front of Frodo. "You have my sword."

I saw Gandalf give Elrond a knowing look.

_I wonder when the other Hobbits will show up?_ I thought. _Soon, I hope._

"And you have my bow," Legolas said, stepping forward.

"And my axe," the Dwarf, Gimli, added roughly, standing beside the Elf.

Legolas made a face that said 'if you must'.

Boromir stood and walked towards Frodo.

"You carry the fates of us all, little one," the man said. "If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done."

"Hey!" a voice called. Sam came running out from behind the bushes where he'd been hiding.

"Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me," the Hobbit said defiantly.

"It is hardly possible to separate you," Elrond said, smiling. "Even when he is summoned to a secret Council and you are not."

"Oi!" Merry's voice erupted from behind me. "We're coming too!"

And the other two Hobbits whizzed from behind me to stand beside Frodo, nearly tripping themselves on my chair. Elrond looked at them crossly, but I couldn't help but grin at their enthusiasm. The poor things had no idea what they were getting themselves into.

"You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us," Merry said when he'd reached Frodo's side.

"Anyway," Pippin began, "You need people of intelligence on this type of mission. Quest. Thing."

He reminds me of my brother.

"Well, that rules you out Pip," Merry muttered to his friend.

I smiled. Hobbits look cute when they're confused.

"Well," I said, stepping forward. "I'm coming too…as far as Lothlórien at least."

Elrond nodded in acceptance but others didn't think in that way. Not mentioning any names, of course.

"She's just a lass!" Gimli said loudly. "Surely you would not allow her to join us!"

"A child will slow our progress," Legolas protested. "And she is female."

"What's so wrong with that?" I demanded angrily.

"I believe Víra will give an advantage to this company," Aragorn said, stepping forward. Finally, someone was willing to defend me. "She protected the Hobbit Frodo on Weathertop, and was left with a scar for her brave heart."

Wow. Middle-Earthians speak weird. I've never realized that before.

"And I can be a glow-light," I said proudly, receiving strange looks from everybody except Elrond.

"Do the Hobbits wish Lady Víralairë to accompany them?" the Elf Lord asked.

"Yes!" Merry and Pippin exclaimed immediately. Sam frowned, but agreed and Frodo didn't take much urging either. I felt like hugging them!

"Gandalf, you asked me to go," I said to him. The Wizard nodded.

Now that just left the Elf, the Dwarf and the Man of Gondor.

"I'll fight when I'm needed to," I offered.

"Have you the ability to use a sword?" Boromir asked suddenly.

"No," I answered him.

"The bow?" Legolas asked.

"Er… no."

I could see where this was heading.

"Have you an axe then?" Gimli asked with doubt.

"I've never even touched one," I said truthfully.

"Then what skill do you have that would aid us?" Boromir asked with a sneer.

_I am now thoroughly annoyed with you,_ I thought. _It's time for some fun. But not for you._

"Have you ever been made to be seated against your will?" I asked innocently.

"Not since I was a child, and I fail to see how a girl – "

"_Hama_ (sit)_, Boromir,_" I hissed. The man staggered back until he sat in the chair he had occupied during the Council. He looked at me with surprise. I pulled my hair back behind my ears and folded my arms with satisfaction.

"She is an Elf-witch!" Gimli roared. Oops – I'd forgotten about my ears. "No other can force people to do things against their will!"

"She is the Elda-hína – the Elf-child," Legolas corrected. "Now that I see it proven to my own eyes I welcome her into this company."

"Thanks for being so understanding," I said dryly.

"I see that the majority of this company has decided," Boromir said. "Though I think it unwise, the girl will go with us no matter how much I am against it."

"Now the whole will of the company is against me," Gimli said, sighing. "The lass shall come…as it seems she truly can aid us."

I looked at him gratefully.

"Ten companions. So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring," Elrond announced.

"Great!" Pippin exclaimed. "Where are we going?"

_Hopefully to learn some answers,_ I thought, smiling at the strange faces the Fellowship showed to the Hobbit.

Ah… It's nice not to be on the receiving end of those looks for once!

**I'm done, finally. And I'm sick. Actually, I should be resting because of that but I like writing this and it's been two weeks since the last update. I'm going to see relatives over Christmas so don't expect a new chapter anytime soon. I think there might've been a few vague areas in this chappie, so if any of you have questions I'll be glad to answer them. It's quite impossible to think straight with a dizzy head. Ah well…**

**To any Boromir fans that are reading: I'm not going to make the Gondorian awful. He'll learn to like Víra just like everybody else. And there was no Elfy-love at first sight! I'm so evil!**

**Anyway… Merry Christmas to you all! Jeez I sound like Santa… Remember to ask me anything you want to know and telepathic candy canes and chocolate to all! And please review! If you read my intro then you'll know why I'm asking again: please, PLEASE, _PLEASE _review! Have a great Christmas:)**


	11. If power fails…

**Hi! I'm here and I'm me! And I'm NOT SICK FROM PIGGING OUT ON CHOCOLATE! YAY! Christmas was fun! I hope everyone else had fun too!**

**I forgot to mention that in the last three chapters there is a connection to make between three things – one in each chappie. If you want, go back to see if you can spot it and guess in your review.**

**:) I just realized that when Víra made Boromir sit down before it sounded like it came from InuYasha. It's an anime for all those people who don't know what I'm talking about. That reminds me – I've got to get the next few DVDs of it soon. Maybe tomorrow. :) :) I LOVE ANIME:) :) :) **

**Thanks to: Elo, InvisibleA, Samantha-Girl Scout, Fk306 animelover, Nimejunkie(?are you animejunkie?), Laer4572, ArwenEvenstar83, Ranewen Seregon, b2, Da Evil BEAN, arialas, Nasuada Moon, Fire wolfess & CelticRoseOfTheLake for reviewing. There was TONS of you:) :) :) THANKS A MILLION:) :) :)**

**And to Nasuada Moon: Sorry you don't like candycanes. I'll take them back now. You can have some other telepathic goodie instead. :)**

**And now to clear something up… THIS FIC IS HEADING TOWARDS BEING A LEGOMANCE. Can I make it any plainer then that? I might change it later if I feel like it. There. Author's note is done now.**

**Disclaimer: Do I have to keep doing this? _As I said before I do not own anything to do with the great LOTR. I do own Víra and the minor characters Aduial, Garávon and Baráson._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 11: Questions with answers THAT I'M NOT ALLOWED TO KNOW! Grrrrrrrrrrr…

-----

Everyone was walking away from the place the Council had been held. I had no idea where they were all going and if they knew their way around Rivendell. If they did it was a great accomplishment. I couldn't tell which way was up in this place and Aduial hadn't waited to lead me. I couldn't blame her – that Council had been _long_.

So instead, I wandered.

I ended up in the room containing the altar that held the shattered Sword of Elendil. Last night both Aragorn and Boromir would've been here. Now I was alone.

I walked up to the altar and carefully picked up a piece of the blade. It shined silver in the light that filtered through a skylight above me. Curious, I ran the tip of my finger along its edge, then quickly put the same fingertip in my mouth. Okay, so that proved that it was sharp. Damn. Now I needed a Band-Aid.

_Like I'd ever find one of them in Middle-Earth,_ I thought wryly.

I was amazed that it hadn't gone rusty, but I supposed that it was a special blade if it was still sharp. Or it was someone's job to keep it shiny. Whichever.

I dropped the shard back into place, still sucking on my cut finger. Folding my dress underneath me, I sat on the stone steps that led up to the broken Sword and sighed contentedly.

All was quiet, and now was the time to think.

_From the dark and light will come gray,_

_Powerful but tainted it will be._

_Unknowing but caring,_

_Unthinking but with knowledge._

That was the riddle Lord Elrond had given me. At least, I thought it was a riddle. It definitely sounded like one. Now if I could just figure out what any part of it meant –

Wait…I could hear footsteps. Someone felt like interrupting my thinking, damn them! And it definitely wasn't an Elf-sneak – I could hear them.

I quickly stood and smoothed the creases from my gown. It would be very strange if whoever it was found me sitting on the floor.

I saw the person's shadow before I saw the person. As they stepped into my vision from behind a pillar their shadow fell over my face, covering it in darkness. I blinked rapidly, my eyes adjusting to the lack of light. When they cleared, I realized that whoever it was hadn't seen me – they were studying the painting of Isildur battling against Sauron with the broken sword and so were turned away from me. And then I recognized who it was.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you before, Boromir," I began quietly.

The man spun round to face me.

"But you were really starting to bug me," I finished.

"Lady, Víralairë?" he asked hesitantly.

"That's me," I said. I moved out of his shadow so I could see his face. "But drop the title, please."

"As you wish," he said. I watched to see if I could pick up any trace of the smugness he'd had before in his eyes, but there was none. _It must've been the pull of the Ring,_ I decided.

"I must ask you," Boromir began. "How do you mean to aid us if your magic fails?"

Damn – hadn't thought of that. _Can it fail?_ I wondered.

"It's not _magic _– well…it is I suppose – but it's also just plain Elvish," I told him. "If that ever it ever stops working I'll have to use a weapon."

"Women have not the need to handle instruments of war," he stated.

I stared at him.

"Mate, you just totally contradicted yourself," I said.

"In what way?"

_Yep, that settles it,_ I thought dryly. _All males of every race are completely clueless._

"If my words don't work then what do you expect me to do? Shout at the enemy and hope they don't kill me? Wave a saucepan at them?" I asked, glaring at him.

"I doubt that that will be necessary," Glorfindel said with a smile as he stepped forward from…wherever he'd been previously standing. Somewhere over there in the shadows.

"Sneak," I muttered and was ignored. But hey, what else is new?

"We have over a month to correct your ignorance, Elda-hína," the golden-haired Elf told me.

"Ignorance?" I spluttered. "It's not my fault that where I come from we don't need to swing a sword every other moment!"

"Then you must come from a very peaceful land," Boromir murmured then looked at me. "Where _is_ the place you hail from?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," I said mysteriously. Both of them looked at me quizzically and then Glorfindel got the conversation back on track.

"If you will allow, Elda-hína," the golden-haired Elf began. "I will teach you how to wield a weapon."

"Really!" I asked excitedly. The Elf nodded and I grinned happily. "Great!"

"Then it is settled," Glorfindel said with a nod. "Elda-hína, I was asked by Lord Elrond to escort you around Rivendell to wherever it might please you."

"Really?" I said again. "In that case… I'd like a meal! I didn't have any breakfast and I'm _hungry_."

Boromir just stood there looking surprised.

"She acts like a small child," he muttered to Glorfindel.

"Hey! I heard that!" I said, putting my fists on my hips. Then I stopped and thought about what he'd said for a moment and added reasonably. "I _am_ a child."

"You are?" Boromir asked with surprise.

"Yes, I'm only sixteen."

"Then you are an adult Elda-hína," Glorfindel told me.

"As a human," Boromir added.

I tucked my hair back behind my ears again, revealing their pointed tips.

"I'm not sure if I _am_ human anymore," I sighed. "I'm in a world where everyone seems to know who I am except me and even though I look like I did before I got here I look a bit like an Elf too."

"What are you talking about?" the Steward's eldest son questioned. I looked at him and sighed again.

"Never mind. You wouldn't understand," I told him and turned to Glorfindel. "Now how about that food?"

-----

That evening as I sat on my bed alone in my room (yes, I'd finally found it again) I thought over how I'd come to be in Middle-Earth. I remembered the two doors…and choosing the one that had _Endóre_ carved all over it and Galadriel's voice speaking to me out of nowhere… but before that everything was black. I couldn't remember how I'd got into that nothing place or anything else. It was like there was a gigantic solid mithril wall blocking me from my memories.

_Which,_ I decided. _Was extremely bad._

I couldn't remember my parents, or anything about my family. I knew I had a brother but I couldn't recall his face. Did I have amnesia or something? I hadn't thought or had time to think about my family at all since I came to be here and now my memory was gone and I _couldn't_ think about them.

_Damn it all! This is so frustrating!_ I thought angrily as I stood up. I pushed aside the thin veil that separated my room from its garden and stepped outside into the cold night air, breathing in deeply. Pushing aside my recollections of remembering absolutely nothing I strode over to the fountain and sat on its stone edge.

Aduial had come to help me into my nightgown earlier on and its hem brushed the grass. I put my fingers in the trickling water, enjoying the cool feel of the liquid.

Suddenly the conversation that I'd begun with Boromir came back to me.

"_How do you mean to aid us if your magic fails?"_

It _couldn't_ stop working, could it? I slid off the stone wall and onto the grass, resting my head against the fountain. I closed my eyes and slowly went through the steps that Galadriel had told me – empty mind, fill it with light, speck of turquoise, draw the energy out into my hands, form a ball of light. Opening my eyes, I smiled at the hovering orb of light in my hand. Now that it was dark, I could see that my light had a blue-green tinge to it, making it the same colour as my eyes.

"So that explains that," I muttered in realization. My eyes had changed their shade because I could do things like make people sit against their will and be a night-light. They had changed their hue to match my magic.

How cool was that?

Another thought suddenly struck me: _How come I don't need speak in Elvish to make this work?_

Hmmm…

Oh well, it was worth a try.

"_Cala_ (light)," I whispered. My orb's light flared up about a billion times brighter, making me cry out with pain. It only lasted for a moment, but it still gave me quite a large shock and made me blink rapidly.

"That _hurt_," I grumbled, rubbing my eyes in an attempt to rid myself of the red dots dancing through my vision. "I won't be doing that again in a hurry."

"Víra!" the shout came from behind me. I turned to see Aduial racing up to me.

"What was that light?" she asked with an anxious look on her smooth Elvin features. "And why did you scream?"

"I was just…experimenting," I answered her, showing her the globe – which had thankfully dimmed down to its original brightness. The she-Elf stared at it in wonder, reaching out a hand to touch it. I froze.

_What if it hurts her?_ I thought frantically, but relaxed when her fingers grasped the turquoise orb and nothing else happened.

"You are fine then?" Aduial asked with a smile.

"Apart from now trying to see you through a storm of red spots, I am perfectly okay," I said brightly. In truth, my sight was beginning to clear. The she-Elf gave me a strange look and took her hand from my light, instead grasping my arm.

"Glorfindel has told me that the teaching he spoke of will begin in the morning," she told me at the same time steering me back to my room. My God she was strong!

"What time in the morning?" I asked.

"When the sun rises."

"What!" I exclaimed. "Dawn? I'll never be awake _that_ early."

"You will…if you shut your eyes earlier," the she-Elf said firmly. By now, she had walked me past the hanging veil and up to my bed.

"Aduial, you're starting to sound like a mother."

_But maybe not mine, _I thought sadly. _I can't remember if my mother said things like that. She probably did though._

I climbed onto my bed and muttered "_etelehta_ (release)". My light went out.

I must've been more tired than I'd originally thought, because as I tried in vain to hear Aduial's footsteps as she left the room, my eyes closed and I drifted off to sleep.

I guess that shows how much mothers know.

**I'm sorry to end it there, but adding any more would make it too long. I rewrote the beginning about four times before I could do anything with it. I had an extreme case of writer's block.**

**In my opinion, this chapter was absolutely pointless, but I'd like to know what you all think. The next chapter will be full of laughs as Víra tries to learn stuff. :) I TOLD you all that she wouldn't be an all-perfect Mary-Sue:)**

**And I really can't think of anything else to say except REVIEW! please? IT'LL MAKE ME WRITE QUICKER:) :) :) See? This chappie was just over a week after the last one. :) Usually it takes me two weeks.**

**Anyway…**

**Namárie:) And happy new year!**

**Lady ElfDragon**

**PS: Reviews make my brain work. :)**


	12. …Get an Elf to teach you swordplay

**I'm so sorry for the pointless chappie last time but it was necessary. I will make up for it this time. I hope. Please forgive me. And I have no idea about sword stuff so I'm guessing. I hope I do okay.**

**Thanks to: ArwenEvenstar83, Da Evil BEAN, Laer4572, Fire wolfess, Elo, CelticRoseOfTheLake, Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, sugar-high pixie ( :) A new reviewer :) ), Fk306 animelover, Kat (see? I put you here), b2 ( :( you guessed it. You'd better not tell anyone), Nasuada Moon, Daughter of Arabia ( :) YOU'RE a new reviewer too:) & HauntedInTheMoonlight.**

**IF YOU ARE ANONYMOUS, PLEASE READ THE BRACKETS AFTER YOUR NAME, OK? I might've answered. Or not. I dunno. Can't remember. I'm like that.**

**Now just for b2: Hi:) If you want I will give everyone a warning when the fluff is about to occur. And it doesn't occur until ages away. Believe me, I am NOT a romantic person that writes love stories all the time and in fact this is my…erm…I dunno…second story with fluff? And the other one was never shown to anyone, so yeah. I write more fantasy then I do romance. A LOT more… Please enjoy this chappie:)**

**Víra's loss of memory was really weird, but it was needed. You'll find out why when they reach Lothlórien…like everything else…**

**Moving on…**

**Disclaimer: _All names and characters included in this work are of Tolkein's creation or my imaginings. Any relation to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Erm… Except for me. I can be similar to me…_**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 11: Erm… training. Joy.

-----

I sleepily padded my way behind Aduial as she led me to wherever we were going. I couldn't even remember. That shows how great I am in the mornings.

Rubbing my eyes to clear them, I realized that the she-Elf had somehow dressed me in a shift and pants. The material was light but strong and they were nothing like anything I remembered wearing before.

Not that I _could_ remember anything.

That thought woke me fully with a jolt. _Why_ had my memory gone blank? I'd have to ask Galadriel. Just like she knew who I was, and also about all my wacky powers and stuff, she'd know the answer to all my other questions.

I hoped. That was the only thing keeping me sane…I think. That, and all the Elves. I love Elves!

"We are here," Aduial said, stopping in the middle of a long hallway and opening a large door that led to an even larger chamber. I blinked.

"And _what_ exactly are we here for?" I asked.

"Your _training_, Víra," she said tiredly. "Must I keep reminding you?"

"No," I said, finally remembering Glorfindel's offer.

"Thank Eru," she muttered. I glared at her back as she walked over to the other side of the chamber then relaxed my expression into a smile. It wasn't her fault that I was awful to everyone in the mornings.

"Step aside, Elda-hína," Glorfindel's voice came from behind me.

Go the sneak.

But I did as he asked and the Elf strode past me into the chamber with his arms full of… something wrapped in cloth.

He laid the bundle down so that his body blocked my view of whatever he had wrapped up in it. Great enlightenment to my curiosity, Glorfindel. Thanks.

"Catch, Elda-hína," the Elf called back to me suddenly and I frantically scrabbled to grab at the object that he'd thrown at me. When I caught it, I stared at it for a full minute with undisguised wonder then checked myself.

It was only an Elvin knife.

A sheathed Elvin knife.

Drawing it out of its cover my awe returned tenfold. It was etched with intricate carvings that spelled out words in the Elvin tongue. It blade glittered like it contained some magical Inner Glow that was bursting to come forth.

Or it could've been the light from the sun reflecting in my eyes. Whichever. I prefer the first description.

All that hard thinking done, I put thesheath aside and looked up at Glorfindelexpectantly.

"This is an Elvin blade," he told me.

I blinked.

"Mate, I figured that out a _long_ time ago. This Elda-hína," I said, pointing to myself, "is not stupid enough for you to have the need to tell me what a weapon is, got it?"

Glorfindel frowned, but nodded.

"I must ask you something," he said.

"What?"

"While I am teaching you as my student," he began, "you must show me respect equaling what you would show any teacher that you have learned from before, understand?"

"Okay!" I said brightly, grinning as an image of a-class-throwing-paper-at-each-other-while-the-teacher-wasn't-looking shot through my head.

My grin faded.

_What was that all about?_ I thought. _Is my memory coming back?_ I thought really, really hard to try and get some more flashes of memories but could only remember paper planes and ballpointpens.

At least it was _something_.

"Are you well, Elda-hína?" Glorfindel asked, making me jump. I looked up, embarrassed. I'd been staring off into space with a frown of concentration on my face for ages – no wonder the Elf had asked that.

"I'm fine," I said, smiling. I wouldn't bother anyone with my memory loss. They'd all think I was weird…weirder then they did already. And it'd all come back. Eventually.

"Then we will start with defense," the golden-haired Elf told me.

He picked up a blade of his own.

"Yes sir," I said.

The Elf stood ten paces away and faced me. I waited patiently until a thought struck me.

"These are _real_ Elvin knives, aren't they?" I asked Glorfindel.

"Yes."

"Then won't they be sharp?"

"No," the Elf replied, and smiled at my confusion. "They are spelled so they do not cut."

"Oh," I said.

But I still felt uneasy. The blades were metal, right? And metal happened to be _hard_. If it connected with any part of me, I'm sure that I would come off second best.

And it would _hurt_.

But I knew Glorfindel wouldn't hurt me on purpose, so instead of worrying I waited for what ever I was supposed to be waiting for.

"You will block me six times," my teacher ordered firmly.

He swung his Elvish knife slowly out to one side towards me, then mirrored the movement to the other side. He then changed back to the first side, but this time he moved the blade so its tip pointed to the floor. That move was repeated on the other side and then both were repeated with the tip towards the ceiling. Glorfindel repeated the movements over again, taking a step towards me with the end of each cycle.

All that explaining done, it was like a slow, graceful, dangerous, metal dance. I was just a beginner so he wasn't going very fast, thankfully.

_I'm glad he's not rushing me because I'm the Elda-hína_, I thought, and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. _The way the Elves talk about and act around me it's like I'm supposed to be all-powerful or something._

I gripped the hilt of my blade tightly as the Elf swiftly covered the distance left between us. Glorfindel had begun to speed up his dance and his weapon began to blur around the edges as it cut through the air.

_My God, please don't let me embarrass myself,_ I pleaded silently. The Elf was so close I could've touched his hand but I didn't – for obvious reasons.

I quite like my fingers _un_broken, thank you.

When Glorfindel began the pattern again, I swung my blade against his, producing a sound that echoed itself through my head quite happily. I had enough time to realize my forearm was tingling with the impact before the Elf swung at me again and I hastily blocked to stop my side from breaking a few ribs.

Actually, I was quite proud of myself. For someone who's never wielded a blade before – unless you count bread or butter knives – being able to block an Elf was a great accomplishment in my eyes.

Even though he _was_ going easy on me.

And so we continued the new pattern. Swing right, block, swing left, block, swing low, block, swing low, block, swing high, block, swing high, block, step-back-so-as-not-to-be-stepped-on-by-the-Elf-stepping-forward, and so on, becoming faster each time.

"You are doing well, Elda-hína," Glorfindel said between clangs, "but your movements are erratic."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I gasped. I was panting even though Glorfindel wasn't even breaking a sweat.

"I suppose you would say 'jerky', Elda-hína," the Elf replied. "Smooth them out."

I grunted my recognition, but divided my concentration between blocking and the motion of my blocking.

Hey, I'm lucky. I'm female and I can do two things at once, unlike the opposite sex…but Glorfindel was doing pretty well…maybe that rule only works for non-immortals…

Yeah, as if I'm one to judge an Elf.

I concentrated until my movements were even and matched them to Glorfindel's set rhythm – which was becoming so fast that his blade was one silver blur of motion. My shift was damp with perspiration and I was breathing hard.

This was extremely difficult.

My backing up halted abruptly as I felt the stone wall of the chamber against my back. Glorfindel changed – no _flowed_ – into a different movement and I gave a startled squeak as he struck my knuckles. My blade spun across the room and clattered to a halt in a corner.

I hope it didn't get _too _lonely there, poor thing.

"Would you enjoy a short rest?" Glorfindel asked me.

"Yes please," I said, nodding. Ouch. My hand _hurt._

We walked over to Aduial – who I'd forgotten was with us, much to my inner embarrassment. The she-Elf had fetched fresh bread, fruit and water while Glorfindel had been having fun giving me a hard time. I hadn't had any breakfast, so I dove hungrily onto the food like a…hungry person that's found some…food.

Never mind.

"So," I said when I'd finished, ignoring the amused looks the two Elves were giving me, "how'd I do?"

"Elda-hína, we've hardly begun the basics – " Glorfindel began.

"I know, I know, but surely a well-trained Elf like yourself could tell if I'm doing okay or not?" I looked at him expectantly.

"You will need to learn more before your abilities can be judged," the Elf said firmly.

"Oh," I said slowly. "Well, in that case…"

I strode over to the corner where my Elvin knife lay and picked it up, turning back towards the two Elves.

"You'll have to teach me more," I told my teacher firmly.

"Elda-hína, your determination will be an enemy's undoing," the Elf said with an amused expression.

"Nice compliment, but let's get going."

For the rest of the morning, I practiced the defense drills over and over until I was quite confident that I'd be _dreaming_ the pattern for months. But maybe that was the effect Glorfindel intended. I'll have to ask him.

After the midday meal, I had an hour's break before Aduial dragged me back to the practice chamber. When we got there, Glorfindel decided to switch places so I attacked and he defended.

Blergh. I _stank_ by the day's end.

I _hate_ sweat.

-----

That evening, I eased my aching body gratefully into a bath Aduial had prepared for me. I believe she thinks I'm rather strange because I thanked her in seven different languages – but not in High Elvish, though. I didn't know what would happen if I thanked someone with a word of my magic. I'd probably bless them with something stupid like incomparable politeness.

Hmmm… I wonder if I could do that to an Orc? That would be interesting…

Since my memory had decided to go on holidays and by the state of my body, I had to assume that my muscles weren't used to the beating I'd given them today.

_So tomorrow,_ I thought, _I'll be so sore I'll have temporary paralysis. Great._

I groaned.

And Glorfindel wanted me in the chamber at dawn tomorrow. _Again._

Ugh. Joy.

Welcome to the life of an Elda-hína in training.

**Well, that was…a little weird. And I've been sitting on my foot so NOW IT HAS PINS AND NEEDLES! ARGH! OUCH!**

**Someone help me please…?**

**Well anyway, this chappie and the next are kinda off the plot. But they're needed – just like the last one. And you'll get the next update in…three days! Or maybe two…it all depends on how fast you all review! So please help me and my half-numb foot buy clicking on the SUBMIT REVIEW button. :)**

**And now… A something-in-a-box for all! Inside is something telepathic that you will enjoy! So… ENJOY:)**

**Namárie!**


	13. MORE training

**YEAH! GO THE FANFICTION PEOPLE! THEY FIXED IT! Ahem. Sorry 'bout that. And I'm sorry that all the people that had me on their alert list got an alert for this chappie a couple of days ago. It was just me trying to figure out what was going on, because MY 12TH CHAPPIE WOULDN'T UPDATE. But it did, eventually, coz the fanfiction people fixed it:) :) :) I'm so happy! **

**Anyway, thanks to: Elo, Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, b2 (ehehe. GO THE POLITE ORCS!), Da Evil BEAN, erowyne (hey, I'm never hard on ANYONE. I have a friend that's African and her English isn't the best either. But you'd better keep reading:) ), Lintered, CelticRoseOfTheLake, ArwenEvenstar83, Ranewen Seregon, Kat, sugar-high pixie, Amareth's Shadow & Fire wolfess.**

**Okay, this chappie is weird and I don't know how it's going to work out, but ENJOY:)**

**Disclaimer: _I do not own most stuff. I do own some stuff._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 13: I am made dead.

-----

After two weeks of Glorfindel's teaching, my body had adjusted itself so I was able to move without falling over every few steps. My muscles still ached a little, though.

Despite all Glorfindel's avoidences as to how well I was progressing, Aduial said she could see the Elf's admiration in his eyes, which pleased me. Although, I don't know how she looked into his eyes long enough to tell… I dunno. It must be some sort of Elf thing.

In the fourth week, Glorfindel brought in an extra bundle in addition to our normal blades.

"What's in there?" I asked curiously.

"This," Glorfindel said, and threw something at me.

He must love doing that.

I caught the flying projectile and stared at it.

"Another one?" I asked, a trace of a whine in my voice. What I was holding, happened to be a second Elvin blade.

"Yes Elda-hína, another one," Glorfindel said firmly.

Okay, I _really_ didn't think I was ready for this.

"But I thought you said before that you usually wait _months_ before you begin with double weapons!" I complained. "You're not making sense – "

"But we do not have months, Elda-hína," Glorfindel interrupted, speaking patiently. "And I have been asked to press your training into as little time as possible."

Oh, great.

"And will I have learned enough?" I asked.

"You will have sufficient skills to protect yourself if the need arises, but you will be no expert warrior," Glorfindel's face showed his disapproval. I suppose he didn't want a hardly half-trained girl trying to protect herself out in the wilderness.

I sighed. Okay, there was no use arguing.

"That seems fine to me," I told him. "I didn't expect a thousand years of training for an Elf to be squished into a few weeks for me."

Someone behind me cleared their throat and I spun around to see Aragorn entering the chamber.

"From what I have seen sometimes while passing, you are doing quite well – for a human girl," the Ranger said to me.

Well, that was a pleasing comment.

"Like I said to Boromir, I don't know what I am anymore, but I _used _to be human," I told him.

At least, from what I could remember.

"And hi," I added quickly. It wouldn't do for a future king to think I'm impolite.

"May I watch?" Aragorn asked after exchanging greetings.

"Erm…okay – I mean, sure!" I said with forced cheerfulness.

Aragorn nodded and strode over to Aduial, who moved to one side of her bench (she had it brought in last week) so the Ranger could sit down.

_Great. My audience is getting larger,_ I thought as I began to block unsteadily against Glorfindel's attacks with the new double weapons.

Oh, I bet I was going to regret this.

-----

And I was right – for once.

Within a fortnight I had Aduial (but she was always there), Aragorn, the Hobbits (bar Bilbo), Boromir (erm… no comment), Gimli (I have no idea why he showed up), a few random Elves, and sometimes even Elrond watching too. The Elf Lord usually left shortly after he arrived, though. Probably something to do with his official duties or the like.

I'd let Aragorn watch so I couldn't just turn everyone else away. That would be mean.

Anyway, HELLO PEOPLE? I'm not some kind of entertainment theatre!

I told them that and they just laughed. Laughed! Do they even know what a theatre is?

Aw, hell. You can't help but love 'em. They are Middle-Earthians after all. And they did 'ooh' and 'ah' and clap in all the right places.

-----

On the third morning of the second last week before we left, I was woken up super early by some bird. That meant I was super grumpy and Aduial nearly got her head bitten off.

I'm so lucky that the she-Elf is really patient or I'd be dead by now.

My memory was slowly piecing itself back together. I could still remember nothing about my family, though, or how I'd ended up in Middle-Earth. I decided to try and tell someone – even if it meant lots of strange looks. I mean, how many people wake up and find themselves without their past inside their head?

Come to think of it, how many people choose to go from Earth to Middle-Earth?

It also troubled me a lot that whenever I tried to tell someone I forgot what I was saying until much later.

Maybe someone was messing with my head.

Talk about being inconvenient.

-----

That same morning, Aduial and I were sitting in the chamber waiting for Glorfindel – and the rest of my audience – when the Elf strode in with what looked like a thundercloud shrouding his face. My teacher was followed by – strangely enough – Legolas.

I blinked in surprise, then asked, "What's he doing here? Don't tell me _he_ wants to watch too."

"Prince Legolas will be helping to train you today, Elda-hína," Glorfindel said through partially gritted teeth.

Wow. Was it just me or did he seem mad?

I looked at Glorfindel's stormy face, then at Legolas's blank one then back to Glorfindel.

I made an exasperated sound and walked over to Legolas, tapping him on the chest.

"What did you say to me teacher to get him so cranky that it's visible on his face, Princeling?" I asked sternly. "_Nyára!_ (Tell!)"

Legolas blinked in surprise and stepped back from me.

Wow. I didn't know I had that effect on people…um…Elves.

"Lord Glorfindel asked if I might help teach the Elda-hína, and I replied that I have no need to teach a child, even if she was the Elda-hína," he said reluctantly.

Well, that was insulting. And he spoke as if it wasn't me he was talking about.

And that came from an Elf who I thought didn't mind me being in the Fellowship. Maybe someone changed his mind.

"Well aren't you nice?" I asked lightly. "Now, apologize to Glorfindel."

My teacher – who had since relaxed and was now more in control of his expression – put his hand on my arm.

"_Hannon le_, Elda-hína," he began, "but I think – "

"Thanks-but-I-can-handle-this-myself-so-don't-interrupt," I said in a rush. "Apologize! _Sin!_ (Now!)"

And the Prince had to, didn't he?

I love my newfound powers!

"Now that that's done," I said brightly," Can we hop to it?"

The two male Elves blinked at my abrupt change of manner and I smiled as I turned away to fetch my twin blades.

"How could you tell, Víra?" Aduial asked quietly as my crowd began to filter in. I scowled. I still wasn't used to people watching.

"Tell what?" I asked as I began to warm my limbs for whatever thrashing Glorfindel was going to give them today.

"That the Prince and Lord Glorfindel had a disagreement." Aduial explained.

I halted my warm up to think before hastily continuing at a glance from my teacher.

"I don't know," I said, frowning. "But I have done it before."

"When was that?"

"When Frodo woke up after Elrond's healing, I knew exactly when it happened and how he was feeling," I told her. "But just before, I only knew that they'd been arguing. It's strange."

Yet another question without an answer. Great.

Nodding to Aduial, I walked over to my teacher and told him I was ready.

Legolas had his double blades out and gave me a good glare from the corner he was standing in. I replied with a smile that only made his scowl deepen further.

And here was me thinking he was a _nice_ Elf.

Talk about having too much pride. I'd only made him apologize.

Glorfindel was pacing a circle around me as he explained about what we would be doing.

"At times during your journey you will find yourself facing not one opponent, but many."

Yeah. That made sense.

"So today you will be defending against myself, Legolas, and also Aragorn, if he will assent," Glorfindel turned to the Ranger with an eyebrow raised in question. Aragorn nodded from his seat and got up to fetch his sword.

I stood there, stunned. Three attackers? _Three?_ Most of the time I hardly managed to fend off Glorfindel, and I had never been able to disarm him.

Oh, God.

This was going to kill me.

My teacher was still talking so I listened until the end.

"Now, Legolas," Glorfindel said, beckoning to the Prince.

"Wha…? No," I said in refusal.

"What are you declining, Elda-hína?" my teacher asked.

"Did you see the looks that Princeling was giving me before?" I demanded.

After a glance at Legolas – whose face was carefully blank – Glorfindel shook his head.

Jeez. How could he have missed them?

I sighed in defeat.

"Okay, but if he gives me any reason to get cranky I will not hesitate to do so."

Glorfindel just looked at me sternly and mouthed 'behave' like he'd done that time in Elrond's study-thing.

That Elf is sometimes such a good judge of character.

"Hey, maybe you can forgive and forget but that's something I have trouble with," I told him.

_Not to mention a certain Elf-Prince isn't making it any easier,_ I thought dryly.

By this time, Aragorn was back with his sword, and Glorfindel got busy telling him what we were doing.

As I said before, this was going to kill me.

"You are ready, Elda-hína?" my teacher asked.

"Yes," I said, thinking, _Erm…not at all._

"Then let us begin."

The three of them closed in slowly around me – the two Elves from the front and Aragorn from behind so they made a triangle. I held my blades still at my sides until they were an arm's length away then quickly twisted around in a circle, whipping the knives through the air. The three of them stepped back to avoid getting hit.

Good. I had some breathing room.

I crossed my blades to guard my body. Now, which one to attack first –

A sharp pain in my right hand released my grip on that blade and it clattered to the floor. My teacher stepped back into his former position.

Thanks Glorfindel. I really needed to be minus one blade right now. I shifted my blade's hilt from my left palm to my right. I was better with my right hand, anyway.

"You need to think as you act, Elda-hína," my teacher advised.

"Yeah, I figured," I said as I spun quickly to block a strike from Aragorn. My arm buzzed from the impact and I hissed uncomfortably. "I'm kind of slow."

"That you are," Legolas said from behind me. I spun to face him just in time to have my blade knocked out of my hand into its lonely corner and the Prince's knife tips rested against my throat.

Oh, crap.

"You will need to refine her skills if she is to fight properly, Glorfindel," Legolas told my teacher as he took his blades away and sheathed them in their covers on his back.

"Oh, but Legolas," Glorfindel said, smiling, "the Elda-hína has not finished yet."

"But she has lost her weapons!" Aragorn protested. He had sheathed his sword as well, unlike Glorfindel, who held his blades in a guard position. Well, he was the only smart one.

I dropped into a roll and tumbled past the Prince's left leg, stopping just behind him I shot my foot out and kicked his knee. Legolas's knee collapsed and he fell off balance, clutching at his knife hilts.

Wow! It really worked! But maybe that was because he wasn't expecting it.

The Elf swiveled to face me, with his blades half out of their sheaths but I stepped up to him and held the point of a dagger at his throat. Legolas froze.

"I have tricks up my sleeve," I said to him. "Literally," I added as I slipped another dagger from another sheath hidden in my left sleeve.

I am so glad Glorfindel took the time to teach me that!

"And you're dead," I said firmly, stepping away from the Elf Prince and nodding to the Ranger. "_Helce_ (ice)."

Aragorn stopped advancing towards me with his now unsheathed sword.

Well, anyone would find it hard to move with their feet encased in frozen water.

I smiled. _Now,_ I thought, _that only leaves – _

I felt cold metal against my neck and turned my head carefully.

"You are dead," Glorfindel said with a smile.

"You sneak," I muttered, letting my daggers fall to the floor. "I guess I need more practice."

"You have to think as you act," Glorfindel repeated from before as he took the Elvin knife away from my throat. My teacher looked over at Aragorn, who was still stuck in ice.

"And I guess that using my magic wasn't fair," I added. "_Etelehta_ (release). But I couldn't think of anything else to do."

The Ranger sheathed his sword with an amused look on his face and stepped away from the point where he's been frozen.

"You did well," he told me. Then turning to Glorfindel he added, "I did not think you would have taught her that."

"But he did," I informed him, picking my daggers up and hiding them back in my sleeves. "Aduial gave me the daggers two days ago and Glorfindel taught me how to keep them hidden and unsheathe them yesterday morning, before you all arrived."

"May I move?" Legolas asked from beside me.

Oops. I'd forgotten about him.

"Of course you can. Glorfindel won and the battle's over," I said smoothly. I was still happy about having beaten him. But I wouldn't annoy him about it.

Or maybe I'd just leave it until a little later.

"Though the rolling was not taught to her by me," Glorfindel noted. "How did you know to do that?"

I shrugged. "Maybe it was instinct," I said.

"Animal instinct," Legolas muttered into my ear.

"Shut it," I growled. The Elf just smiled.

Argh! Now I know how infuriating that is! It must've made him so mad before!

I'm glad I did it.

"Do you wish to continue?" Glorfindel asked.

"Yes!" I said at the same time as the Elf.

"Very well," my teacher nodded and he and Aragorn took their positions.

"You just want to beat me," I muttered to the Prince before he and I took our places. Legolas just looked at me with a slight smirk.

Okay. We definitely do _not_ get along. Damn him and his hurt pride.

"Begin," Glorfindel commanded.

This time was much the same, except my attackers became faster and harder for me to block. Without the use of my power I only managed to keep my weapons in hand for a few minutes before one of them made me drop them. Sometimes I managed to do something unexpected and surprise one of them, but after one try of each surprise it never worked again. But that was understandable. These three were trained warriors, and they learned really fast. Suffice to say, I never won.

I always ended up 'dead'.

Damn. At this rate, the horrors of Middle-Earth are going to kill me before I get to Lothlórien and find all my answers.

I just had to hope my powers didn't fail before then.

**Sorry to stop there, but it'll get too long otherwise. Anyway, I really liked this chappie, surprisingly:) I don't know why I just do. Oh, yes. _Hannon le_ means thank you in Sindarin. I don't know if I spelled it correctly though. I think I did.**

**Next week I have to go back to school. It's been all holidays up until this week. I'll try to have another chapter up by the end of the week. If I can write that fast.**

**REVIEW! PLEASE? I always ask that, but please do! My friends from school reminded me that the first English assignment of the year is a DRAMA one. I HATE Drama and I HATE getting up in front of other people. Despite how I write I'm actually a shy person, and I HATE DRAMA! Why couldn't it be WRITING? I'm good at writing…**

**GRRRRRRRRR! FRIENDS, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND I'M MAD AND SAD AND YOU MADE ME CRY! HOW COULD YOU?**

**Seriously, I had tears streaming down my face and everything. Mum came in and thought I had a sneezing fit or something. Well, I _did_ have hay fever on the weekend from the stupid flower blossoms. Oh, well. And this is a really long Author's Note.**

**Oh! Does anyone know of there is any known wife or lover of Glorfindel? I've never seen it written down anywhere, but I might've missed it. Please answer the question – if you can. And it's not for the fic (well, maybe not), it's just out of curiosity.**

_**Namárie!**_

**Lady ElfDragon.**


	14. And we STILL haven't left!

**Well, I'll start this chapter but I don't know if I'll finish it before school starts for me again. Heart's truth, I love writing but I just don't seem to have enough time. That's why I always take so long to update. I can't wait 'til school finishes for me. Blergh. That's in three years. BUT I HAVE TO SUFFER UNTIL THEN.**

**Ahem. Don't mind me. School always makes me cranky.**

**Many thanks and hugs to: Elo, Daughter of Arabia, Da Evil BEAN, sugar-high pixie, angel (you're new. I think. Romance comes MUCH later. But it does come. :) Thanks for reviewing!), ArwenEvenstar83, CelticRoseOfTheLake, got-lotr, Lintered, Fire wolfess, erowyne ( :) ), Wind and Fire (Thanks:) I hope you keep reading! I enjoy your reviews!), Kat (just deal with it), Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi & b2 (hate? Some. But there IS a reason for why he doesn't like her all that much. You'll find out later. :) ).**

**And now to the update!**

**Disclaimer: Okay, this is getting old. _I do not have any wish to claim Lord Of The Rings (cough, cough), but by writing this fic I have portrayed my sincere OBSESSION with the thing. I do not expect any profit from my – or anyone else's – work._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 14: What's up with Aduial? OH! THAT!

-----

I woke to the sound of that damn bird again. Pulling the bedcovers from over my head I realized that it was light.

_That's strange,_ I thought, sitting up. _Aduial usually wakes me for my lessons before –_

"From your expression, you are wondering why you have not been woken sooner, I take it," an amused voice said from the entrance to my room.

It was Glorfindel.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, hurriedly pulling my sheets up around me. Don't get me wrong, I _was_ decent, but I usually didn't have males at the threshold of my bedroom while I was still in bed. It felt…strange.

The Elf laughed at my uncomfortable expression. I scowled at him.

"It is past noon," he then told me.

"What?" I asked and slid out of my bed. "Then I should be in the practice chamber."

"No you should not – I will allow you to rest this day," the Elf said, smiling. "Surely you know what day this morning dawns on?"

"Er…not really…oh!" I exclaimed, remembering. "It's the day before we leave!"

Well. It took me long enough.

I looked at my feet, embarrassed. How could I have forgotten? Stupid mornings.

"Víra! I have readied most of your belongings for tomorrow!" Aduial's voice called from the hallway outside. Glorfindel inclined his head in question and I nodded to allow him to step into my room.

"So really, Víra, it is time for you to – oh!" the she-Elf exclaimed as she halted in the entrance at the sight of Glorfindel and beyond him, me. In her hands she held a pack, some clothes and my twin daggers in their sheaths.

"I was coming to wake you," Aduial said softly, placing her load down in my bed and straightening her dress. "But it seems you have already done so."

"It was that bird again," I told her. "Not Glorfindel."

"Oh," she murmured, eyeing me warily.

"Don't worry," I said hastily, "I'm not crabby this morning,"

Surprisingly enough.

"That is all right then," the she-Elf sighed with relief.

Well, I _had_ been a bit horrible to her that time last week.

Glorfindel was looking amused.

"I had hoped that you were not as disagreeable most mornings, Elda-hína," he chuckled. "It seems I was correct."

This time it was me eyeing Aduial.

"You told him?" I asked her. No one else really knew how cranky I got if I didn't wake up in my own in the morning.

"You did not tell me otherwise…" she trailed off, blushing.

Okay, that was weird.

"It's fine, I just didn't expect you to tell Glorfindel of all Elves," I told her.

There was silence as we all tried to think of something to say.

"Can I get dressed, or help you get my stuff ready, Aduial?" I asked finally. She nodded and crossed the room to my wardrobe.

Glorfindel still stood there.

"Out," I ordered. "I'm getting changed. Out!"

"But Elda-hína," he protested. "I was asked to give you – "

"It can wait 'til later," I interrupted. "Now, out!"

I reached up, placing my hands on his shoulders and pushed him backward until he stood beyond my threshold. He stared down at me and I scowled.

"Move it!" I growled, and slammed the wooden door.

Well, I guess I _was_ irritable after all.

When I turned to Aduial to see what she'd pulled from my wardrobe this time, I saw her gazing at the door behind me. She was smiling.

Okay, weird she-Elf.

"Aduial?" I asked. "Hello-o?"

When that didn't get her attention I crossed the room to stand beside her and glanced in the same direction she was then back at her. She seemed lost in thought. Strange.

Were all Elves like this?

I returned my gaze to the same point as hers. Okay, she was staring at the door, and she was wearing a happy expression. It couldn't have been from me being grumpy, and it couldn't be the sight of Glorfindel, so what would it –

Or _could_ it be the sight of Glorfindel?

I grinned evilly as the realization hit me. My golden-haired teacher had a secret admirer!

If in doubt use the simple art of deduction. It always works. Completely off the point, but anyway…

"Aduial, you like him, don't you?" I asked casually. The she-Elf snapped out of her thoughts and stared at me instead.

"Whom do you speak of?" she asked, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.

"You know who I mean!" I snapped. Her gaze flickered away from me and she opened her mouth to reply.

"And don't you dare deny it!" I told her angrily.

Wow. Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed.

"I – I…" she sighed when she saw my deepening scowl. "I will not deny it, though it is my secret."

"So that's why you came to all my lessons," I realized. _Wow. I never knew._

Aduial nodded.

"But please, do not speak of this," she said quietly.

"But why not?" I asked, surprised. "Wouldn't you _want_ him to know?"

"Víra, there is something you must understand," Aduial sighed. "The love of Elves is sometimes everlasting, sometimes not. If he was to return my feelings then I would have a great joy but if not…"

"You would be unhappy," I finished for her. And forever is a long time to be unhappy for an immortal.

But she _did_ have forever to get over it.

The she-Elf was still looking sad. How depressing.

Right. Time to change the subject.

"If you've decided what I'm wearing today, I'll help you pack," I offered. Aduial gave me a relieved look.

I told you subject changing was good.

"Here," she said, drawing out a deep blue gown. "You can wear this."

-----

After Aduial had helped me into the piece of Elvin clothing, I sat on my bed while she combed my hair. Fiddling with the hem of my sleeves I wondered how long it would be until I could wear a dress again. I mean, I much preferred a shift and pants, but Elvin gowns were _comfortable_. Not to mention beautiful.

Maybe they'd have some for me in Lothlórien.

If I survived to get that far.

_What am I thinking?_ I asked myself sternly, dropping my hands into my lap. _I know what's going to happen before it occurs. I'll get there._

"Done," Aduial said finally, standing up. "Will you help me to pack?"

I nodded and she opened my wardrobe and began pulling out sets of pants and shifts.

"I stored these in here a few weeks ago," she said, placing them on the bed and smiling at me. "You seem to wear men's clothing a lot in order for you to comfortably train."

I held the pack open as she carefully laid the clothes inside.

"And it'll also be easier for me to travel in the same," I said. "Though I'll miss the gowns."

Who wouldn't?

"I am sure you will wear one again someday," Aduial said sensibly.

-----

Packing took up the whole of the afternoon. We'd decided to pack as little as possible, but there was this and that to put in and they all had to be arranged neatly so nothing poked me while I was carrying it. It was one big bother. Aduial tried to pack my twin daggers as well, but I grabbed them and clutched them to my chest.

"No," I told her firmly. She opened her mouth to protest then sighed.

"You wish to wear them," she stated.

"Of course!" I exclaimed. "They're mine, I want to use them, so I'll wear them."

Not to mention I need the practice.

"Very well," Aduial said. Prying my weapons from my grasp, she set them aside with the clothes I was going to wear tomorrow.

"You leave soon after dawn," the she-Elf told me.

I groaned. Everything in Middle-Earth started with the dawn. I'd never get used to it.

Maybe that was what was going to kill me.

Nah. It'd probably be some random Orc.

I started out of my depressing thoughts when I heard someone tapping on the door.

"Come in!" I called. The door creaked open and in stepped…

Glorfindel.

Now that I was looking for a reaction, I noticed Aduial tense slightly as he entered.

"I – I will leave to get us a meal, Víra," she said hurriedly, and swept gracefully out of the room.

Trust an Elf to be graceful even when she's flustered.

"Am I allowed to give you your gift now?" the Elf asked me. I looked at him with confusion, before realization dawned on me.

"That's right, you came in earlier," I said, walking up to him. "So…?"

"What, Elda-hína?" Glorfindel asked.

"Where's my present?" I asked after giving a sigh of exasperation.

The Elf reached behind the doorframe to something I couldn't see and told me to turn around and close my eyes.

So I did.

"Hold out your hands, Elda-hína," the Elf muttered. I obeyed, and he placed something of moderate weight in them and closed my fingers so I didn't drop whatever he'd given me. I opened my eyes.

"Wow," I breathed, turning to him. "But you can't give this to me, surely?"

"I was asked to by Lord Elrond," Glorfindel told me. "Use them well."

What he had given me were the two silver Elvin knives that I had been using in my training for the past months, and their sheaths – which I had never seen before.

"You will need to practice unsheathing them while you travel as I did not take the time to teach you," the Elf said.

"Why not?" I asked. I was still a bit numb with shock. I mean, sure, I needed to protect myself, but handing me the double knives? Now I had four blades, and altogether they must've been worth a fortune! Not to mention all the clothes…and my food.

"Because I did not have enough time to teach you anything but the basics," he answered. "If you have trouble, ask one of your companions for advice."

"Okay," I said, nodding and placing my gift on the bed. The Elf suddenly inclined his head like he was listening for something and I waited patiently for him to finish.

"Here," he said abruptly, startling me. "Give this to the _Elda vende_ (Elf maiden) for me."

Reaching into a pouch at his waist, Glorfindel drew out a jeweled necklace and placed it in my hand.

I smiled and tucked the thing into my sleeve. These Elvin gowns are as useful as they are pretty. I can hide things in my clothes and no one will ever know!

"Why can't you give it to her?" I asked. "And it is Aduial you're talking about, right?"

"Yes, it is she," the Elf replied. "And I – " he halted, listening again, and said hastily. "I must leave. _Nam­árie_, Elda-hína!"

Please. They were both acting like little children…which is a lot to say when they were both around double the age then the oldest grandpa in the race of Men. Jeez.

The Elf exited the room. A moment later, Aduial stepped through the door holding a tray with our meal on it.

"He has gone?" she asked. I nodded.

"Let's go outside, Aduial," I said. "I'd like to eat at the fountain."

-----

As we sat on the stone edge of the fountain, Aduial tried to hide a smile as I shovelled food into my mouth.

_Why do _I_ have to be their messenger?_ I wondered. _Why can't Glorfindel just give it to her in person?_

Or maybe all Elves were this shy of each other. If they were I hadn't noticed. They all seemed to be pretty confident to me.

"Aduial," I said finally, when we were finished eating. "Someone asked me to give you this."

I took out the jewel necklace and handed it to her. She stared at it in surprise before taking it from me and staring at it some more.

"Who?" she asked quietly.

"Can't you guess?" I shot back.

"Not – Not _Glorfindel_. Surely not," she said, but was looking immensely pleased.

"It is," I confirmed. "Now, are you going to let me put it on?"

I tugged it from her fingers and looked at it before fastening it around her neck. The pendant was a silver rose with tiny grey-blue jewels in the centre. They matched the colour of Aduial's eyes and sparkled in the fading sunset.

Needless to say, it was a beautiful piece of work.

"I don't know why you two can't face each other," I said to her, sitting back down.

But then again, I've never been in love so I'm not really one to talk.

"Now that I know he returns my feelings I will be able to face him," the she-Elf said firmly.

"So…when you get a gift it means someone likes you?" I asked.

"If it a gift of affection, like this is, then yes," Aduial said, gesturing towards her necklace. Her cheeks still held a touch of crimson but at least she wasn't full of nerves or anything.

For now.

I sighed and slid down onto the grass.

"Glorfindel gave me those twin blades I've been practicing with," I told her. "I've something to stop myself being killed now."

I looked up at Aduial and her eyes met mine, filled withsadness.

"You must be careful," she said softly. "And come back to Rivendell in one piece."

"Of course I will," I told her confidently. Why did she have to be so unsure about it?

"All the Elves here love you, Víra. And if you were to die, then the prophecy – " she cut off abruptly and smiled sadly. "I cannot tell you. You are not to know."

"Damn!" I muttered, then said out loud, "And here I was thinking I would be finally getting some answers!"

And what prophecy? Did she mean the riddle?

There was one way to find out.

"From the dark and light will come grey," I murmured, watching the she-Elf out of the corner of my eye. "Powerful but tainted it will be – "

"You know it already?" she asked suddenly.

So I _was_ right. That riddle of mine was a prophecy!

I gave a small smile.

"Elrond told me that," I said to her. "At least I've got _something_, now I know it's a prophecy."

Aduial's blushed.

"I'm not supposed to tell you anything, even if it is already within your knowledge," she whispered.

"It doesn't matter. I won't tell on you," I patted her arm. "Can I go to bed now?"

"What's this? Víra the Elda-hína _asking_ to sleep?" Aduial shook her head in mock disbelievement. "I thought I'd never see the day."

Great. She's teasing me.

"Yeah, well I figured that I shouldn't be crabby tomorrow because it's my last morning here," I said reasonably.

Aduial laughed.

"Come inside, Víra," she said, collecting our things onto the tray. "I'll prepare you a bath."

-----

One nice warm bath and mug of lemon tea later, I was snuggled under the bedclothes thinking about tomorrow night when I'd be sleeping under the stars. I would be the only female in the Fellowship and was most likely going to be teased about it. Especially by Legolas.

I scowled into my pillow.

That stupid Princeling was being such a jerk.

After that day last week, Glorfindel had made me practice against the three of them each day until I finally managed to knock away Aragorn's sword. And it wasn't as if I actually did it properly. Aragorn had been easier on me then the other two and had let his weapon clatter across the chamber when I knocked my knife against it.

But that had nothing to do with Legolas.

The Princeling took every word I said as an insult and even after a week had passed he still hadn't forgiven me. I'd forgiven him for all the faces he'd made and the stuff he'd said, so when was he was going swallow his pride and do the same for me?

In my opinion I didn't need to be forgiven, but that was just the nasty side of my brain talking.

And travelling all over Middle-Earth with an Elf that couldn't stand me would be pure torture! But on the other hand, at least I wouldn't get too bored. At least I'd have someone to take my frustration out on.

Jeez. Who am I kidding?

**And there you have it. Another chappie. The day after tomorrow I have to go back to school, so the updates will be every two weeks again, if not three. But I promise I'll work really, REALLY hard so I can update as quick as I can.**

**Oh, and I'm sorry that this was ANOTHER chapter off the plot, but I couldn't help it. It just happened. I'm very sorry… PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!**

**On an ending note: to anyone who loves Elfy, there's a sincere reason behind why he's being stiff. And I can't tell you why yet coz that'd ruin the story, so once again, PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!**

_**Namáriae!**_

**Lady ElfDargon**

**PS: Please, please, PLEASE review! I'll be able to deal with school and write faster if I have the support of my readers! Something-yummy-in-a-box for all who do:) I love you people:) :)**


	15. The first change

**WELL! I am now completely and utterly convinced that school is a waste of my time. I could be doing productive things – like writing – instead.**

**Many, MANY Thank-yous to: Fire wolfess, sugar-high pixie, got-lotr, Lintered, Samantha-Girl Scout, Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, Elo, angel, Kat, hermionine, Da Evil BEAN, CelticRoseOfTheLake, erowyne, ArwenEvenstar83, Laer4572 & Daughter of Arabia. :) You guys really make writing this fic worth every moment of my time. (hugs!) :) :)**

**Disclaimer: Not this again. _I don't take any responsibility for stuff that isn't mine, and that's hardly different to the stuff that IS mine. I don't take responsibility for that either, but I still own it._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 15: Yes! We're leaving!

-----

The next morning I found myself woken in a non-crabby mood. Aduial smiled as I raced around the room pulling on a dark green shift, brown pants, cloak, belt-purse and boots as well as strapping my sheaths onto my back and arms.

"You are ready?" Aduial asked in amusement when I finally stopped being an indoor storm.

"Almost," I replied. "Do you have a ribbon, or a piece of scrap cloth?"

"I take it you would like to tie your hair back?"

"Yes please."

"I have just what you need," the she-Elf told me, reaching into her sleeve and pulling out a length of white ribbon and proceeded to plait my hair, tying it when she was done.

"Thanks, Aduial," I said.

"You are ready now?" she asked again. I grabbed my pack from beside the door and tried to keep from falling over under its weight.

Well, okay, it wasn't _that_ heavy, but it came extremely close.

"I'm done," I told Aduial.

"Then follow," she said, and walked swiftly out the door and down the hallway. I went after her, struggling to lug my lump of luggage and remain upright at the same time.

We ended up at the entrance that I remembered coming through when we'd arrived here.

"_Termárele varna_ (you stay safe)," Aduial said, then quickly embraced me and turned away to stand beside Glorfindel, who – along with numerous other Elves – was standing around to see us off. The golden-haired Elf noticed his gift fastened around Aduial's neck and smiled his thanks at me. I returned his smile, thinking how well those two would suit each other.

Other, sadder thoughts quickly shrouded that happy one as I turned to stand with the Fellowship. Frodo and the other Hobbits were looking very nervous – although they did try to hide it, but succeeded only partially.

"Hey," I said to them softly. "You'll be fine. Just relax."

The four halflings smiled slowly, but Frodo still looked uncertain. I smiled warmly at him to try to give him some encouragement and he began to release the tension that had built up inside him.

Wow. Yet again, I didn't know I had that kind of effect on people.

"Lady Víralairë, please stand with your company," I heard Elrond say from behind me. I went to stand beside Aragorn, who lifted my pack from my shoulders and strapped it to the packhorse. Pony. Thing. I gave him a relieved look, thanking him silently.

"I could see it was troubling you, Víra," he told me.

Maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad.

I glanced over at Legolas, who looked back at me with an impassive expression. I poked my tongue out at him and he scowled.

Okay, it was going to be a nightmare.

"The Ring-bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom," Elrond announced. "On you who travel with him, no oath, no bond is laid to go further than you will."

Well, that was a relief. For some, anyway. But not me.

I looked up at Aragorn and saw him give a small smile to Arwen, who looked sadly back. I knew she didn't want him to go, but I also knew he had to. All would turn out all right in the end. Except for a few things, like the evil guys. Things wouldn't go too well for them.

"Farewell," Elrond said. "Hold to your purpose. May the blessings of Elves and Men and all Free Folk go with you."

The Elf Lord gestured with open arms to give his own blessing and farewell. I turned to Gandalf.

"The Fellowship awaits the Ring-bearer," the Wizard announced. Frodo turned hesitantly and walked towards the huge archway entrance, which was now our exit. The rest of us followed him in silence, until the Hobbit's voice spoke out quietly.

"Mordor, Gandalf, is it left or right?"

I grinned.

"Left," Gandalf replied.

I followed the Wizard until we were just outside the entrance, then looked back and waved to Glorfindel and Aduial. They, along with all the other Elves, raised their hands in farewell and the she-Elf mouthed, _'Namárie'_.

With one last look at the splendor of Rivendell I walked out of the archway and followed Aragorn. He seemed depressed.

We walked across the bridge and up the path over the hill. No one was talking and everyone's faces were solemn.

The silence was so deafening that I began to scowl. Aragorn must've seen me silently fuming because he stopped striding ahead and fell into step beside me.

"What is wrong, Víra?" he asked.

"Can't you guess?" I asked.

Well, if he could then I suppose he wouldn't have asked.

"Why is everyone being so damn depressing?" I asked. Then raising my voice, I added, "Hey everybody! Lighten up!"

My companions halted and turned to me with bemused looks.

"Well, at least you're not all sad anymore!" I said cheerfully and strode ahead to walk alongside the Hobbits, elbowing Legolas accidentally-on-purpose as I went past.

"So," I said, ignoring the death glares I got from the Princeling. "What have you guys been up to?"

I listened as Pippin and Merry launched themselves into a detailed account of all the tricks they'd played on the Rivendell Elves, and Sam told me of all the things he'd done with Mr. Frodo, and Frodo told me all the things he'd done with Bilbo. I saw Frodo clutch slightly at his shirt as he was talking and I smiled at the thought of his mithril vest that he was obviously wearing beneath his shirt.

The lucky halfling. Why couldn't we all have an indestructible undershirt like him?

I sighed. Because he's the one that'd be needing it.

-----

All too soon it was dark.

"The night is upon us," Aragorn said from beside me at the back of our procession.

"Oh, good," I sighed. "That means we can sleep."

"I see a place where we may rest," Legolas called from ahead, pointing. "It is not more than a few miles hence."

Wow. I wish I could see like an Elf.

_Wait a minute…_ I thought slowly. 

"Aragorn, what's the High Elven word for 'sight'?" I asked.

"_Cen_," the Ranger answered promptly. "But Víra, why do you need – "

"_Antanin Elda cen_ (give Elf sight to me)," I murmured, ignoring him.

My vision immediately lengthened and sharpened and I halted in my steps, turning to where Legolas had indicated. I saw a large grassy patch of ground that was free from small stones and those horrible spiky plants that I'd managed to sit on this morning. Trust me to do something like that. Always the klutz.

"_Etelehta_ (release)," I said, and suddenly staggered backwards as my vision was returned to normal. I blinked and tried to focus on something, but everything was blurry.

Then I realized that my vision was _normal_. Comparing it to the sight of an Elf was what made it ineffectively fuzzy.

"Are you all right, Lady Víra?" Pippin asked.

Why do they always ask that?

"Apart from just having my sight squeezed back into shape I'm fine," I said, rubbing my eyes. I looked at the Hobbit and he stepped back with shock. I scowled.

"What?" I asked him.

"I – It…Your eyes Lady," Pippin informed me. "They are not their normal shade."

"What?" I hissed again. "Aragorn, unsheathe your sword. I'd like to see my reflection."

Oh, great one Víra. Now they'll all thinkyou're vain.

"Your own blades will suffice, girl," Legolas called from ahead.

Oh yeah. I'd forgotten I had them. And the Elf had to be the one to remind me, didn't he?

Reaching over my shoulder I grasped a hilt and drew it out in front of me. Concentrating, I called up my light globe and angled the Elvin blade so I could see my face.

Bright green eyes stared back at me.

_My God,_ I thought, sheathing my knife and releasing the globe. _They've changed. This can't be normal._

"I don't know what's happening to me," I muttered under my breath. I heard the Princeling muffle a snort and scowled at his back.

"Yeah, well it's not like you do either, so butt out," I said, speeding up to reach him. He looked down at me, and for a moment I thought I saw an expression other than annoyance on his face. It was almost like…I reminded him of…something. And not something nasty either.

As if. It must've been the lack of light.

-----

"Lass, will you light our camp for us?" Gandalf asked, once we'd reached the place we were aiming for.

"Okay," I said. I looked inside myself and found the point of light-energy-stuff. To my surprise, it was now as green as my eyes were.

_Okay,_ I thought slowly. _This is getting to be slightly weird…_

Who am I kidding? Everything's been weird since I got here… however I managed to do that. I sighed and let warmth flow into my hands and form an orb. My light wiped the darkness away in an instant and left everyone bar Legolas and myself blinking to clear their eyes. The Prince went on calmly unpacking his things as if nothing had altered.

Stupid jerk Elf and his stupid Elf eyes.

I began to ready my bedroll and struggled with it for a few minutes until Merry came over to help me.

Well, have you ever tried to set out some heavy water-proof blankets comfortably with half your concentration on a globe of light and only one hand free?

I thought not.

After the sleeping stuff was ready, Aragorn used a flint to start a fire and Sam began to cook our meal.

"We must hold to this course, west of the Misty Mountains, for forty days," Gandalf told us as we all seated ourselves around the fire.

"Great. And let me guess, we have to get up at dawn every day?" I asked. I groaned when he nodded as his answer.

"If our luck holds," the Wizard continued, "the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us."

"And then?" Pippin asked.

"From there, our road turns east to Mordor."

"Oh lovely," I said sarcastically. "That's a fantastic place to have a holiday. All those Orcs and Goblins and who knows what else lying and waiting for us."

"But it is where we have to go, lass," Gimli pointed out.

"I know!" I told him. "I know more than you or any one else does for the moment, and that's what makes me grumpy."

Boromir heard me and gave me a quizzical look, but upon seeing my expression, sensibly didn't question it any further.

"You may put out your light now, Víra," Aragorn said to me. I nodded and spoke the word. My light extinguished itself.

The evening meal finished, the rest of us lay down beneath our blankets while Aragorn took first watch. I was female, so I wasn't expected to keep watch that often. Legolas was particularly insistent that I shouldn't do that particular job. For some reason he was being very protective.

Yeah right. He just didn't want me to do anything because I might mess it up.

But hey, if he thought that would annoy me then he was wrong. At least _I_ got to have a full night's sleep every time it got dark.

Ah, life is wonderful when you're a girl in Middle-Earth.

-----

About a week later we were crossing some unnamed ungodly boggy bog when darned Gandalf decided it was time to stop for the midday meal.

"You've got to be kidding!" I shouted at him. "We're in the middle of a swamp!"

"Not here, Víralairë," the Wizard said patiently. "Further on, beyond this patch of land – where this marsh ends."

"Oh," I said quietly.

Jeez, I was so embarrassed. Like he'd really make us halt in the middle of a swamp. Stupid me.

Finally we were out of the swamp, and with Sam and Merry nearby preparing lunch. To be honest I didn't know if Master Brandybuck was helping or hindering. Poor Sam.

"Will you fight with me?" Boromir asked me from behind, making me jump. I looked at him quizzically.

"Fight?" I asked.

"To practice with your blades," he explained.

"Oh," I said slowly, and stood up. "Okay."

I unsheathed my Elvin knives smoothly and walked over to a clear area where no unsuspecting – not to mention insensible – Hobbit would end up becoming a bit shorter then they already were.

As the metal of my blades rang against Boromir's, I noticed a slight difference in the way he fought compared to the way Aragorn did. My curiosity sparked, and I began to observe the way he was attacking and defending. He was being nice and being careful not to overwhelm me, but I would've liked it if he had fought like he would normally.

_Hang on,_ I thought, blinking as I caught one of his movements out of my eye. _That can't be right – _

I swiftly brought my blades up against the Gondorian's. My eyes widened.

There was that movement again.

I let Boromir attack me a few times in a row and blocked them all, confirming my suspicions. Every time he attacked or defended, he left himself open for less then a second before moving again. I frowned, puzzled. I shouldn't be able to see any faults with what he was doing.

Oh well, I may as well use it to my advantage.

I rained down a series of would-be deathblows – had he not blocked them – and when he blocked against my right blade I deliberately let my grip loosen. My knife spun out of my grasp and landed in the dirt a few paces away. Boromir's expression turned to one of surprise. I suppose he wasn't expecting me to give up my blade that easily.

Well, that was the whole idea.

Instead of switching my knife to my right hand as I usually did in these situations, I pivoted around the Gondorian in a half-circle so my armed side was facing him and slid my right dagger out of its sheath without him noticing. He spun to attack me and I blocked it with my left knife, keeping my dagger out of sight.

"Watch yourself Boromir!" I heard Aragorn call. He'd noticed what I was doing.

"Hey, that's not fair!" I shouted at him, loosing my concentration for a moment. In that instant, the Gondorian had knocked my left blade aside and brought his sword hard up against the hilt of my dagger. I knew fighting against a sword with my twin daggers would be useless so I let mine fall from my hand.

And I was defeated.

As soon as Boromir had sheathed his sword I stomped over to Aragorn and scowled at him.

"What did you do that for?" I asked angrily.

"You learn fast, Víra," he said pleasantly, ignoring me. "And I am surprised to see that you saw the openings Boromir was leaving for you immediately."

That didn't explain anything. I hesitated, then gave up.

"Those openings were deliberate?" I asked.

"Indeed," Aragorn confirmed. "We were asked to progress your training by the Elf Glorfindel. You were not supposed to see those openings until a few lessons had passed, but as I said – you are quick to learn."

"Thanks," I said. "By the way, who thought up that idea?"

Aragorn cleared his throat, glancing over at Legolas, whose expression was blank except for his grey eyes, which glared warning daggers at the Ranger.

"We all had a part in it," Aragorn finally answered.

Which meant that the Princeling had been the one to think it up.

And that was just great.

"Princeling?" I asked.

"Yes, girl?" Legolas said mildly.

"Can you at least admit you _might've_ had a part in thinking it up?"

"Itook no part, girl," he said firmly, his face turned away from me.

_I have no idea why this is bothering me so much,_ I thought suddenly, when I opened my mouth to retort. _It's just _Legolas_ after all._

After that thought I shut my mouth with a snap and just glared at him.

"Lady Víra?" Pippin asked, appearing at my elbow. "Here is your meal."

"Thank you Pippin," I said to him, trying to keep the sharp edge from my voice. _That stupid Elf and his damn pride! _I thought angrily.

"I'm going to sit over there," I announced to no one in particular, pointing to a random rock away from the others. Silently fuming, I stalked over to the stone, scooping up my discarded weapons as I passed them. I plunked myself down onto my makeshift seat and munched on the food the Hobbit had given me. I was so frustrated that I didn't even notice what it was. Most likely something delicious of Sam's, but I wouldn't put it past Merry to have spoiled it with something nasty.

In the midst of my thoughts I abruptly decided to calm myself down. I'd be no use to the Fellowship in a storming fit of frustration like this.

Now what would calm me down, other than seeing the Princeling's head roll…?

Just kidding. I'm not that violent.

_I know,_ I thought, placing what was left of my food beside me. _My light always makes me calm._

I found the point of green light with my eyes shut and formed the globe in my hands. Opening my eyes. I stared into my orb.

It suddenly flickered with black lightning, which laced around it like a dark net of spidersilk.

I fell off the stone with shock.

"Are you all right, Víra?" I heard Aragorn call.

"I'm fine!" I called back. I glanced at the globe. It was still emitting light, but there was nothing unusual.

I stared at it for a while longer, then pronouncing myself sufficiently calmed I released it.

"Ready yourself, Víralairë!" Boromir shouted. "We will soon take our leave!"

"Coming!"

Finishing off my meal I checked my weapons and walked back over to my companions. We began walking again, with me silent and thinking. The memory of the dark lightning flashed in my mind, along with my green-eyed reflection. I frowned.

What was going on?

**Oh God, I am so sorry for not updating sooner. I had writer's block again, and school is just annoying. I'll try to be quicker next time, OK? But I can't make any promises.**

**Please everybody! REVIEW! I'll be very happy, and maybe my muse will help me write faster so you'll all get a new update! GO THE REVIEWERS AND THE REVIEWS THEY SEND ME!**

**Okay, that was a bit weird.**

**Now a special announcement: Happy Birthday to my friend Kat! She's 15 on Wednesday! YAYAY! Have a great B'day, Kat, even though I'll see you before then at school. :) :) So yeah, chapter 15 and my friend's turning 15… weird…**

_**Namárie!**_

**Lady ElfDragon**


	16. Snow…Need I say more?

**Well, hiya, people!**

**I feel particularly weird today, so don't blame me if this chappie doesn't make sense.**

**A big round of applause to: Lintered, Laer4572, Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, White Blossom of Gondor (cool name!), -incessant embers- (that's a cool name too:) ), Samantha-Girl Scout, erowyne (I don't know why Boromir had to defeat her, he just did. And here's then next chappie!), ArwenEvenstar83, Da Evil BEAN, sugar-high pixie, Fire wolfess (since you weren't signed in, your reply is here. Your breakthrough is nearly right, but you keep guessing and maybe you'll get it. And here's the update!), Elo (no, Víra's light doesn't show her mood, but good guess. And you did spell Galadriel right), b2 ( :) thanks! I always love your reviews!), Born-of-Sin (another cool name) & Kat (I'm glad you actually managed to mention my fic in your review!).**

**Wow. That was a long thank you list, but they all deserved it! Yay! And here's the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: (sigh) No comment. _I own my own stuff and other stuff belongs to others._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 16: Stupid mountain and exhausting powers.

-----

"Víra?" Aragorn's voice startled me out of my thoughts.

"What?" I asked irritably. I'd been thinking over the unknown cause of the strange black lightning. Since that first time, it'd occurred a few times again, but never in view of the others. Not knowing the answer to all these questions was beginning to make me outwardly grumpy. I was already grumpy in the inside.

"Would you like to fight against me to practice?" he asked, ignoring the venom in my voice. After that first time with Boromir, I had practiced nearly every day until I was able to strike my opponent through the opening they left. After I'd mastered that, they thought up new things for me to find and learn.

Surprisingly, they were really good teachers.

After watching for a few days Merry and Pippin had wanted to learn to fight too, and Gandalf thought it was a good idea so that's what they were doing now – fighting with Boromir.

"No thanks," I said, in answer to Aragorn's question. The Ranger shrugged and went to watch the great battle of two Hobbits versus Boromir.

There was another thing bothering me – the fact that I knew this part of the story. We were at the white-ish, rocky part where those damn birds were about to come swooping down on us and we'd all have to hide. The problem was, I wasn't allowed to tell anyone because that would be what Galadriel called interfering, and I was forbidden to do just that.

_Oh fantastic,_ I thought, taking my share of the meal that Sam had just been cooking and smiling a brief thanks to the Hobbit. _It's not as if I haven't messed up the story just by being here._

Which brought me back to the looming problem of my memory lapse.

"Two, one, five – good! Very good!" Boromir exclaimed. I drew myself from my troubles to watch them and smiled at the Merry and Pippin's enthusiasm. Those two halflings would probably be able to defeat an army just by making their enemies laugh so hard they couldn't concentrate.

"Move your feet!" Aragorn called out from where he was sitting.

"You're good, Pippin," Merry told his friend. Pippin thanked him.

"Faster!" the Gondorian said. The two Hobbits obeyed him eagerly.

"If anyone was to ask for my opinion – which I note they're not," Gimli said, walking around a large rock to talk to Gandalf. "I'd say we were taking the long way 'round."

I got up and walked over to the boulder that Gandalf was sitting on with his pipe, carefully avoiding Legolas. I'd annoyed him to no end about a week back and he still hadn't gotten over it.

"Gandalf," Gimli was saying. "We could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome."

"Fat chance of that," I muttered. Legolas turned his head to stare at me. I looked innocently back.

"No Gimli," Gandalf told the Dwarf. "I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice."

_We'll have no choices in a minute,_ I thought, glancing up at the mountain and shivering.

Legolas was still looking at me and not where he was supposed to, so I pointed at the horizon and said, "Look there." The Princeling frowned, but did what I told him, then gracefully leapt up upon a rock to get a better look at what I'd just pointed to.

I scrambled up beside him, carefully keeping out of his reach. In the background, I could hear Merry, Pippin and Boromir still fighting, and the thud and exclamation of Aragorn being tripped to the ground.

I grinned in spite of myself.

By this time, everyone – bar those four – was staring at the darkened patch of sky along with Legolas.

"What is that?" Sam asked warily.

"Nothing," Gimli said uncaring. "It's just a wisp of cloud."

"As if," I snorted.

"It's moving fast," Boromir observed, getting up from the ground. "And against the wind."

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas told everyone.

"Took you long enough!" I shouted, sliding off the rock and racing to fetch my possessions while my companions did the same, then hiding themselves as well.

A few mements was all it took, and soon I was the only one out in the open. I hastily searched for a hiding place, but only found a crevice where shoved my pack.

"Víra! Hide!" someone hissed from behind me. I glanced up to see the black birds nearly upon us.

"Um…er…" _What can I do?_ I thought frantically. "I know! _Nurtan!_ (hide me!)"

I crossed my fingers as the squawking flapping black things screeched over and around me. When they were gone, I sighed with relief as everyone crawled out from where they'd been hiding and watched the squawkers fly away.

"Spies of Saruman," Gandalf announced bitterly. "The passage south is being watched."

I looked fearfully up at the snowy mountain.

"Where is the lass?" Gimli questioned. I frowned in bemusement.

"I'm right here," I said into his ear.

The Dwarf jumped in fright and I laughed.

"What is up with you people?" I asked. "I'm right here."

"You are not, Víra," Aragorn said to the air above my head. "Did you not hide yourself from the Crebain?"

"Oh yeah," I said, smacking myself in the forehead. "_Etelehta_."

The Fellowship stared in shock as I reappeared beside the Dwarf. I grinned. This would be so fun if I could play tricks like this on them all the time. Then my grin faded.

Gandalf was looking at the mountain.

"We must take the pass of Caradhras," he said firmly.

"Oh fantastic," I said dryly. "That's even worse then your idea to stop for lunch in the middle of a swamp."

I pulled my pack out of the crevice and held it up to Aragorn so he could strap it to the pack-pony – Bill's – back. Somehow they'd managed to hide him as well as themselves.

"Let's get going, then," I said with a sigh. "The sooner we fail on Caradhras the sooner we can get off that damn mountain."

I checked my blades and began walking towards our mini Mount Doom, then stopped and turned back to face Aragorn.

"And don't you dare say that it's a hill, Ranger."

-----

After a few more hours of walking, we found ourselves stomping through Hobbit-knee-deep snow. I scowled at Legolas who was striding with ease and not even leaving any footprints on the cold white sheet.

"Show-off," I muttered. Then I began concentrating to leave as minimal amount of tracks behind me as possible, so I didn't feel stupid compared to the Princeling.

"How come you can walk on snow?" I asked angrily, stomping up to Legolas and scowling at him.

"You manage quite well yourself, girl," he replied, and kept walking. I looked down at my feet, and was startled to find that I _could_ see them.

I lifted my right foot. It had made no imprint whatsoever. I took another step and frowned when my foot broke through the snow's crisp surface.

"Okay, weird," I said, trying to place my foot somewhere where it wouldn't sink. "Why isn't it working anymore, Princeling?"

"Because, as unlikely as it may seem, you are thinking too hard," he called back to me. I growled and started after him, then halted mid-step as I realized that I was walking on snow again.

"See?" he said. I scowled at him, then smiled evilly.

"You know, now that I can do that, I can do this easily too," I said, and barreled into him, knocking him off balance and pushing him back a few paces. I then bent down and grabbed some snow, making it into a ball.

"Catch this!" I shouted, and threw it at him, hitting the Princeling in the chest. Legolas looked shocked then brushed the stuff off before it began to melt.

"Aw…come on!" I goaded, running circles around him, feeling proud of my newfound ability that matched the Elf's.

Yay! I can walk – and run – on snow!

Legolas's foot suddenly shot out making me trip and I tumbled into Frodo, creating a domino effect that ended with the Hobbit at Aragorn's feet, and me sitting in the snow a few paces from the Elf looking dazed. The Ranger helped Frodo to his feet and the Hobbit clutched at his chest then looked up. The Ring was lying at my feet.

I watched as Boromir came to pick it up and stared at it. I got up, and began brushing the snow off my clothes. When I'd done, the Gondorian was just about to take the Ring with his other hand.

"Boromir!" Aragorn shouted to get the man's attention. "Give the Ring to Frodo."

I felt Boromir's hesitation before he started down to hand the Ring to the Hobbit.

"As you wish," the Gondorian said with a forced uncaring air. Frodo snatched the evil thing away. "I care not."

After ruffling the Hobbit's hair he started back up the way he'd come. I watched the Ranger uncurl his hand from his sword, and wished the Ring didn't have this effect on Men.

Damn thing.

I looked up at the Princeling.

And he wasn't much better. At least he didn't make Men crave power when he was in their possession.

Now that was a scary thought.

-----

After who knows how long, the wind began to pick up and snow began swirling about us like it was on some performance-enhancing drug.

After a few more minutes it was becoming hard to stand up, even though I could walk on snow – a fact that I endlessly annoyed the Elf with.

The rest of the Fellowship was huddled up in cloaks and the two men had begun to carry the Hobbits as the snow was too deep for them to go through. I felt really sorry for them, and began searching through my limited Elvin words to find something to warm them up.

"Can't you use your witchery to help us lass?" Gimli shouted over the roaring of the snowstorm.

"Don't call it that! You make me sound evil!" I shouted back. "And I'm trying, okay?"

At the head of the party, Legolas peered out with his Elf-eyes into the storm. All at once, a deep male voice came to my ears.

"There is a fell voice on the air," the Elf told us.

"Hey! I recognize those words," I said. "They're in High Elvish! Stop stealing my words, you White Wizard!"

I got a strange look from Gandalf before he yelled, "It's Saruman!"

The memory of the dream of the trees of Isengard I'd had before I got to Rivendell came back to me, and I remembered their pain. Saruman was such a jerk.

There was a rumbling overhead, and I looked up before quickly throwing myself up against the cliff wall to my left. A few dozen huge boulders came crashing down just over the edge of the path we were on. The Hobbits cried out in fright.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn yelled. "Gandalf! We must turn back!"

"No!" the Wizard shouted, and began chanting his own spell in Sindarin. I looked down at the Hobbits, who were shivering and trying to get as much of themselves inside their cloaks as was possible.

"Here," I said, kneeling down so I could reach them. "Boromir! Aragorn! Can you please come here?"

The two men obeyed, and I asked the four Hobbits to each hold out one of their hands. I frowned a little when I saw the blue colour of their fingertips and clasped their freezing hands in both of mine.

_How can I do this without burning them?_ I wondered. _Maybe I could say a sentence instead of just a few words…_

"_Carete lauca as súlenya_ (Make them warm with my breath)," I muttered and let my breath cloud over their hands.

I watched in wonder as their fingers turned from blue to a healthy pink in the blink of an eye. The four halflings uncurled from their cloaks and looked at me with awe.

"I take it you're warm again?" I asked. They nodded in unison.

"My thanks, Lady," Pippin whispered.

I scowled.

"I told you to stop calling me that," I said to him, then softened. "But I'm glad you're not about to die of cold anymore."

My head started to throb slightly and I leant back on the cliff wall dizzily. To warm four Hobbits in the freezing cold was obviously the current limit of my powers. I sank wearily onto the snow and held my head in my hands.

"Are you well?" Aragorn asked.

"Not really," I muttered. "It'll most likely take me a while to recover from what I just did."

The Ranger frowned and asked if I needed any help. I looked at his and Boromir's load of halflings, then at Gandalf who was still chanting, then at Legolas who was the only one of us not doing much at the moment.

"Do you mean do I need to be carried, or something?" I asked, and Aragorn nodded. Another look at Legolas showed him to be completely ignoring me and I smiled weakly.

"I'll pass," I told the Ranger and struggled to stand.

That was when Saruman's spell started the avalanche.

I backed up against the cliff wall for a third time and opened my mouth to scream just as the heavy snow thudded into us, smothering any sound I was about to make.

Then there was silence.

_I can't breathe!_ I thought frantically, trying to figure out which way was up. _Someone please help me!_

I felt a hand at the back of my collar and sighed in relief as whoever it was pulled me from the snow. I turned to thank my rescuer and was met with the face of Legolas.

"Thanks," I muttered anyway. He looked at me for a moment before turning away.

"You might have used your power, girl, and saved me the trouble," he said.

I stared at him open-mouthed.

"Well, excuse me if I wasted my power on stopping four Hobbits from freezing and had none left for this," I replied with a sharp edge to my voice.

"Let us go through the Mines of Moria," I heard Gimli say.

"Let the Ring-barer decide," Gandalf said finally. Frodo looked at each of us in indecision.

"We cannot stay here!" Boromir shouted. "If Víralairë's spell wears off this will be the death of the Hobbits!"

"Not to mention the rest of us," I muttered under my breath.

"Frodo?" the Wizard asked.

The Hobbit hesitated once more before answering.

"We will go through the mines."

"So be it," Gandalf announced quietly. I shuddered at the thought of what was waiting for him and for us down in Moria.

"_Now_ can we go back down?" I asked.

-----

In the end, Aragorn was able to put the Hobbits down and help me weakly stumble down the mountain. Once I was sure that the halflings weren't going to freeze before we got off Caradhras I muttered the release of my warmth spell. My energy flowed back into me and I was able to shrug off Aragorn's support and walk the rest of the way by myself.

Walking along the path that led to the entrance of Moria, I watched as Gandalf called Frodo to him. Not being able to hear what they were saying, I quickened my pace until I was just behind them.

"Evil will be drawn to you from outside the Fellowship," Gandalf was saying. "And, I fear, from within."

I felt Boromir brush past me, and watched as he passed the Wizard and the Hobbit.

"Who then do I trust?" Frodo asked.

"You must trust yourself," Gandalf answered. "Trust your own strengths."

"What do you mean?" the Hobbit asked.

"There are many powers in this world for good or for evil," the Wizard explained. "Some are greater than I am, and against some I have not yet been tested."

Was it just me, or did Gandalf's eyes flicker back to my face when he said that?

Ah, who cares? As if I'm stupid enough to battle against Gandalf the Grey.

"The walls…" Gimli said wonderingly, bringing Frodo and Gandalf's conversation to a halt. "…of Moria."

Stretched out in front of us was a huge black cliff face that looked…well to tell the truth…kind of blank and empty. If you can call a wall empty.

"Well done Gimli," I told the Dwarf, patting him on the back. "Now all that we have to do is find the door."

**Well, to my astonishment, I finished that chapter quite quickly. I wish I could complete my assignments that fast. Then I could type more chappies! But I do have an offer: if I get more than 15 reviews I'll type faster and maybe have the next chapter up by next weekend.**

**Oh yeah, does anyone know of the anime InuYasha? I'm obsessed with it, and I'll probably be bombarded with a ton of stuff from my friends who also love it. So if you know about it, tell me. I just want to know out of interest.**

**Until the next time! AND A CUTE-FUZZY-CUDDLY-THINGO FOR EVERYONE WHO REVIEWS!**

_**Namárie!**_

**Lady ElfDragon.**


	17. The ugly thing

**Hi! Thanks so much for your responses to the last chapter, and by asking about InuYasha I just wanted to know how many of you knew about it coz everyone – bar my friends – thinks I'm a freak for watching anime. But hey, I don't care. ANIME IS COOL:)**

**Hugs for: Elo, Laer4572, shadow929, White Blossom of Gondor, Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, Arialas (no blanking out… not for a while anyway), CelticRoseOfTheLake, Da Evil BEAN, Fire wolfess, -incessant embers-, erowyne ( :) I'm so happy you're reading this:) ), ArwenEvenstar83, Lintered, b2 (okay, new thing in Moria coming up next chapter, if I remember to put it in:) ), sugar-high pixie, Kat, Amareth's Shadow, Edae, lizanne89892, littlemissred95 & R.K. Binx. YOU ALL GET CUTE FUZZY THINGS:) I hope you like them. **

**Now on with the show! Erm…fic. I meant fic.**

**Disclaimer: _If I owned LOTR I would be worshipped and praised for all my good work. Since I'm not worshipped, LOTR is obviously not mine. I must be writing a fanfic, proving therefore, that I do not own other people's work, just my own._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 17: The Dark Deep Depths of Moria. Need I say more?

-----

"And I had thought those black cliffs were close," I grumbled. "Seriously, we've been walking for at least twenty minutes and we haven't got there yet."

"Have you not noticed that the path winds its distance towards them?" Aragorn questioned.

"Well yeah, but I didn't think it'd take over a third of an hour," I retorted.

"We are nearly there. Your complaining hardly ever ceases, Víra," the Ranger noted with a wry smile.

"Just doing my job, Aragorn, just doing my job."

Looking up at the sky, I realized it was nearly dark – my eyes had adjusted so quickly that I hadn't even noticed.

Or it could've been that all the rocks around me were black, and so the sky hardly looked different.

I stumbled and put my hands out to steady myself and found my hands resting against a huge black wall.

"I told you it was close," Aragorn murmured as he brushed by me.

_Oh, so it's one of those things that seems far away even when it's close,_ I thought with amazement. _How strange._

"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed," Gimli said from up ahead, tapping his axe against the cliff.

"Yes Gimli," Gandalf told him. "Their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas muttered.

"Watch your mouth, Princeling," I told him, "or I might just side with the Dwarf and freeze you in some of that snow from Caradhras."

"_Might?_" Gimli asked. "Why don't you just rid us of the Elf?"

"Because he's an _Elf_," I said, as if that explained everything – which it did…for me. "And I couldn't be bothered to waste my energy on him."

I watched said Elf stiffen and wondered if I'd injured his pride again. It'd pay him back for tripping me on the mountain…

…Although he did get me out of that snowdrift. Oh well.

Our walking had found the edge of the horrible lake that was near the doors of Moria, and Frodo lost no time in slipping on the edge of it into the dark water. I shivered and stayed as far away as I could from the shoreline. I also loosened the hilts of my twin blades in their sheaths, and checked my daggers. If anyone noticed what I was doing, then they ignored me. Most likely, they thought that I was afraid of the dark.

As if.

As we approached the two trees, Gandalf muttered, "Well, let's see," under his breath and stepped up to the black wall.

"Ithildin," he said quietly, running his hands over the rough surface. "It mirrors only starlight and moonlight."

The Wizard looked up at the clouded sky and the grey parted, revealing a bright white moon. The outline of the doors immediately began to glow and what was once hidden was seen again.

On impulse, I made my globe appear in my hand and held it up to the cliff. Where my light shone the Ithildin grew slightly brighter as if it were absorbing the glow of my orb.

Gandalf smiled slightly. "And it also seems to reflect your light Víralairë."

_How interesting,_ I thought, peering at my orb. _You sure seem to do a lot of weird things._

As if in answer, my globe flickered with dark lightening, and I winced.

It just had to do that, didn't it? I wondered if it was sick or something and needed fixing.

"What do they say?" I asked, changing the subject, still keeping one eye on my globe.

"It reads, 'the Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter," Gandalf recited, pointing at the carving-things with his staff.

"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I said mysteriously. Gandalf gave me a queer look and answered the Hobbit.

"Oh it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open."

The Wizard then proceeded to chant _Annon edhellen, edro hi ammen, _followed by _Fennas nogothrim, lasto beth lammen._

"You're way off track," I muttered, smiling.

"Nothing's happening," Pippin said, stating the obvious.

Gandalf ignored him and set his shoulder against the doors, trying to push them inwards and open.

"Ah…Isn't it supposed to open outwards?" I asked, confused. I looked warily at the water, which was beginning to show its expanding ripples, even before the Hobbits had thrown anything into the water.

After the Wizard's "I once knew tons of spells" speech, and me muttering about old guys and their memory loss, Pippin asked what he was going to do.

"Knock your head against these doors Peregrin Took!" Gandalf answered out of frustration. "And if that does not shatter them – and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions – I will try to find the opening words."

"Oi! No fighting or arguing!" I told the Wizard.

"You're one to talk," Legolas muttered into my ear. I scowled at him.

"Princeling, I hadn't finished you know. I was _going_ to say, "because that's my job" before you so kindly interrupted," I said sweetly. The Elf cringed away from my voice.

"Even when you speak without malice, your words are like venom," he told me.

I thought for a moment then answered. "You know, that is probably the most insensible thing you have ever said."

Legolas raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"Because of this – _helce_ (ice)," I said, waving a hand towards Legolas's feet. The Princeling looked down to see his legs coated in frozen water to just below his knees making it impossible for him to move. He tried to wrench his feet unsuccessfully from my bindings then looked at me with his face as dark as thunder.

"I told you I'd put you in some snow from that mountain," I brightly. "Well, technically, it's not snow, but..."

Legolas continued to scowl at me.

"Do you think it wise to trap him?" Boromir asked.

"Oh, he already has enough of a grudge against me that a little more won't hurt," I said conversationally as the Elf continued to pull his body away from his legs but to no avail. I heard a faint splash out in the lake and eyed the ripples uncertainly.

"Although you do have a point," I muttered, just as Aragorn began to talk to Sam to convince him to let Bill go.

"Then you will release him?" Boromir questioned.

"Um… I don't know," I said slowly, looking over the Elf thoughtfully. I realized with shock that my love of Elves still extended to the Princeling, even though I hated him so much – especially when he was being a jerk. Because just because he's a _bad_ Elf it still meant he was an Elf.

"You really need to sort out what comes first, mate – you're words or your skin," I told the Princeling. "But since you'll be needed soon I'll let you go, but I'll freeze you if you annoy me again, got it?"

The Elf nodded, although he still looked angry.

"Good, _etelehta_," I said nodding at him. The ice melted away and I spun to swiftly walk away, holding my orb in front of me to light my way to the Ranger and Sam, the smaller of which was still arguing over whether to let the pony go or not.

"You know," I began, interrupting, "I'm not looking forward to carrying my own pack either."

Sam gave me a hurt look.

"I was more afraid for what's out there for Bill, Lady Víra," he said solemnly.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I could…" I trailed off, thinking.

"Could what, Lady?" the Hobbit asked curiously.

"I was thinking I could make him safe, but I don't know the right words," I said embarrassed.

Aragorn appeared to be pondering something too.

"If Víra is able to protect Bill, will you let him go?" he asked Sam. The Hobbit hesitated before nodding. "Then I will give her the words she needs."

"You will?" I asked. The Ranger nodded, and I detected a feeling of relief behind his grey eyes.

Someone was glad he didn't have to argue the Hobbit out of it.

"Then I need the words for safe and stay," I told him. He nodded and gave it to me and I turned to face Bill. The pony seemed to know what I wanted and nuzzled my arm. I released my light orb then carefully placed my hands on either side of his long face.

"_Termárele varna_ (you stay safe)," I murmured, thinking _This is what Aduial said to me when we left._ A green substance spread from my hands and around the pony's body like a coat of light. I stepped back as the light faded, and, thinking that I was about to be devoid of all strength, I steadied myself. Surprisingly, I didn't feel any different, but when Aragorn removed the packs and bridle from Bill I felt as if a slight weight had lifted from my back.

I stared at the pony in shock as I realized the full extent of what I'd done.

"Uh… Sam, can you kick Bill's leg?" I asked. The Hobbit looked at me in horror. _Oops,_ I thought. "Aragorn, can you, please?"

The Ranger gave me astrange look, but in spite of Sam's protestations, he aimed his booted foot at the pony's foreleg and struck. Bill didn't even budge.

Pain exploded in my head, and I looked at my left forearm. A large purple bruise swelled up before my eyes before receding slowly. In a matter of seconds, my arm was healed.

"Ouch," I said feebly, as Sam and the Ranger observed me with surprise.

"What happened Víra?" Aragorn asked quietly.

"I – I think when I shielded Bill I made myself receive the pain instead of him," I said slowly. "Although it did heal quickly."

Aragorn shook his head and urged Bill away. Sam looked sad, but I winced at every sharp stone the pony stepped on, and every time he stumbled in holes.

"Will you be all right, Víra?" the Ranger asked. I nodded.

"I'm okay, it's getting better as he moves further away."

Once Bill was out of my sight, the sensation of his hurts vanished completely. I was troubled that that would mean my spell had faded, but Sam remained optimistic.

Well, just as long as the Hobbit didn't ask me to do that too often.

-----

I sat on a rock gazing at my pretty orb like a demented bug in order to pass the time, until I heard the distinct sound of a rock being thrown into water. I looked at Aragorn as he grabbed Pippin's arm, to stop the next assault on the lake.

"Do not disturb the water," the Ranger said softly.

"Why not?" I called. "It's not sleeping or anything."

"I'm more concerned about what lies sleeping _in_ the water, Víra."

"Oh."

"It's useless," Gandalf muttered from over near the doors, throwing his staff to the ground and sitting on a rock.

"Not it's not!" I called to the Wizard. Gandalf gave me an unreadable look.

"And I expect you can do better?" he asked irritably.

"Don't you get sore at me, Wizard," I said sulkily. "I _could_ help, but someone forbade me not to. Believe me, I'd help if I could, but I can't."

Frodo got up and stood before the doors, studying them.

"It's a riddle," he said in realization.

Behind him, in the water, the ripples were starting to be more than ripples and began looking like waves.

"_Speak 'friend' and enter_," the Hobbit continued. "What's the Elvish word for 'friend'?"

"_Mellon_," the Wizard said, slowly and carefully.

_Finally!_ I thought.

The stone doors swung open and Gandalf stood to look at them.

"I told you they opened outwards," I said, breaking the silence, and standing also. I unsheathed only one of my blades, as the other hand held my orb, and slid off my rock. The Fellowship began to walk into the darkness of the mines. I paused at the threshold, my globe casting an eerie light over the things inside, then turned back towards the lake.

_Okay,_ I thought,_ stay calm. Everything will be fine._

"Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves," Gimli said proudly. "Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone!"

"I thought only fruit could be ripe?" I asked, though my voice shook.

Oh great.

Another light flared up and I blinked in the sudden brightness. Gandalf held his staff aloft.

"This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin," the Dwarf continued. "And they call it a mine! A mine!"

"It _is_ a mine," I muttered, still not moving from my place at the entrance.

Boromir glanced around swiftly.

"This is no mine," he said softly. "It's a tomb."

"Okay, I stand corrected," I said, trying to prepare myself for the sight from within.

The Hobbits looked down to find bones scattered beneath their feet, and the skeletons of Dwarves and their rusted weapons appeared out of nowhere, even though they'd been there all the time.

Gimli cried out, and I felt a momentary sympathy for him, before covering my eyes so I did not have to see the hollow ones of the dead Dwarves'.

I felt sick.

I heard Legolas wrench and arrow from one of the skeletons and his shout of "Goblins!" but I was too busy feeling dizzy to make a snide comment about how he knew everything.

"Víra!" Aragorn called as everyone drew their weapons. "Are you well?"

I shook my head, still with my eyes shut tight.

"I have never seen death before," I said softly, "I have had dreams about it, but the reality is much worse."

I realized I was crying – crying for the Dwarves, a people that I'd never even known – and wiped my eyes fiercely.

"I'll probably get Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome now," I muttered wetly. Aragorn gave me a questioning look, but I shook my head. "I'll explain it some other time."

"Good, now we must get out," turning to the others he shouted, "Now, get out of here! Get out!"

"Will do," I said. The Hobbits backed out beside me, and knowing where the danger was about to rise from I turned to face the dark water.

And immediately wished I hadn't.

The waves were huge, and I could even see the form of a huge thing beneath the surface. One long tentacle erupted from the water and sneaked its way towards Frodo. My orb winked out and I grabbed my other Elvin blade and hacked at it, but not before another one appeared, taking hold of its intended Hobbit and pulling him towards the water. The other Hobbits grabbed him and pulled him back, creating a weird game of tug-of-war.

I shrieked Aragorn's name at the same time Sam shouted, "Strider!" and the Ranger spun to face us.

And that was when I felt a slimy tentacle wrap around my waist and pull me to the ground. I suppose it didn't like me interfering with the capturing of its prey.

One of the Hobbits managed to hack off the arm-like thing that held Frodo and the things seemed to retreat – it even released its hold on me and I sighed in relief. Then tons of tentacles erupted from the water and knocked us back, plucking Frodo from the ground, and suspending him in the air.

"Legolas!" I shouted, and one of the Elf's arrows thudded into the thing holding the Hobbit. The beast gave no reaction, but its head rose from out of the water and I grimaced at the sight of it.

"Ewww…" I said unhelpfully. "It's ugly."

Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli and the other Hobbits were slicing tentacles by the dozen, but they seemed to come back, just as they were cut. Aragorn finally severed the one that held Frodo and caught the Hobbit as he fell through the air.

"Into the mines!" Gandalf shouted. Everyone raced to obey his order.

"Into the cave!" Aragorn yelled, reinforcing the Wizard's shout.

"Shoot another arrow!" I shouted at the Elf, slicing at any of the things that came within an arm-and-sword's length from where I was standing as I slowly made my way to the doors.

"But it does it no harm!" the Princeling shouted back.

"Then shoot at its head, or in it's mouth, or eyes, or something!" I yelled, getting frustrated.

We all seemed to be doing a lot of shouting.

The Elf obediently notched an arrow and aimed it at the beast's head. I stopped fighting for a moment, thinking fast. Running over to Legolas, I dropped my right blade and touched my fingers to the arrow.

"_Nar_ (flame)," I murmured, and stepped back. The Elf started in surprise the shaft and arrowhead burst into flame.

"Hurry, and shoot it!" I told him. "I don't know if it'll burn through the arrow or not."

Not waiting to see if he was doing as I asked, I picked up my blade and ran towards the doors. I heard the beast's cry of pain and turned in time to see the Elf's magicked fire-arrow embedded in its eye just before I was pushed inside the door, followed by the Princeling. Aragorn, the Gondorian and the Hobbits made it just before the beast reached inside and began collapsing the inside walls. The Fellowship raced away from the entrance until the rubble stopped rumbling and all the light from the entrance was blocked from the cave-in.

"We now have but one choice," Gandalf said as he lit his staff. "We must face the long dark of Moria."

I sheathed my blades then concentrated, forming my light and being very careful to not look at the ground or anywhere there seemed to be Dwarfish forms against the walls or on the rocks.

"Well," I said. "Nice place for a holiday, isn't it?"

**I'm sorry that it wasn't sooner, but my brother had a friend over and I wasn't allowed near the TV, which meant I couldn't get all the lines I needed. Oh well, no matter. It's done now.**

**Happy birthday to Edae, who's birthday is this weekend I think. I hope you have a great day, and enjoyed this chappie!**

**And once again, the offer stands, if I get more the 15 reviews, I'll update next weekend.**

_**Namárië!**_

**Lady ElfDragon**


	18. Falling Hobbits!

**OK. My bad. I REALLY need to be awake when I'm typing – I just skimmed through all my previous chapters and I'm amazed at the silly mistakes in them. One of these days I'll go back and fix it all up, but my guess would be that you all rather me spend my time typing new chappies instead of taking forever to edit old ones. Well? Am I right?**

**Oh, and I didn't promise anything in the last chapter, but that was because I wanted to see if people reviewed WITHOUT having something to prompt them. And my conclusion is… that I DO need to offer you all something to make you review:) Well, in that case… To ALL the people who reviewed last chappie, you guys get a cuddly thingy of your favourite character from any type of book, movie or otherwise. ENJOY!**

**Hugs to: White Blossom of Gondor, Elo (o.O weirdo), Sorceress of the Cat, shadow929, Fire wolfess, Arialas, Lintered, ArwenEvenstar83, b2 (eheheh. Funny. Please keep up your cool reviews:) ), Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, Da Evil BEAN, Edae, -incessant embers-, R. K. Binks, erowyne ( :) yeah…stupid brother's friend… keep reading!), & Danny (thanks for FINALLY reviewing!). THANKS A BILLION:)**

**Disclaimer: -.- I REALLY don't feel like doing this anymore. _To all the slow people that haven't realized it yet, I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING TO DO WITH LORD OF THE RINGS! If I DO own anything, I own ME and ANY kind of character I think up with my great and terrible mind! MWAHAHAHAAAAA! _(sorry, this is me at three o'clock in the morning)**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 18: Okay…WHAT in the name of Middle-Earth is up with Legolas?

-----

"You know what's really good about the dark?" I asked suddenly after about ten whole minutes of silent walking, hopefully making everyone jump.

Except the Elf, of course. The Princeling would've probably been able to hear my mouth opening in some technical way that indicated that I was about to speak or the like.

"What?" Pippin asked.

"Actually, the question was indirectly aimed at Elfy over there," I said, nodding to the tall figure dimly lit by mine and Gandalf's lights. "But I'll answer you."

"Well?" the Hobbit asked after I was silent for a long moment.

"I was preparing a very knowledgeable speech, thank you," I said in mock irritation.

"Oh."

"Apart from making everyone _really_ quiet so I can annoy them with my talking, being an excellent cover for those dead…Dwarves," I said, swallowing hard and continuing quickly, "and making my orb's glow look cool as it lights things up – things apart from the thing I mentioned before – and making other people trip over stuff so I can laugh," I added as Frodo fell over a small pile of rubble, "the dark also helps to mask something horrible."

"And that is…?" Legolas prompted, joining in the conversation. I held my globe so it shone eerily on his Elvin features.

"You," I said evilly. The Elf scowled.

"The same could be said of you, girl," he muttered, turning away. I stopped in my tracks, causing myself to be nearly flattened by Boromir, who had been walking behind me. I apologised quickly and dusted myself off, letting the Gondorian go past.

_Okay, once again the lack of light is affecting my sight,_ I thought, rubbing my eyes with my free hand then staring at the Elf's back. _But if not, I _think_ I just saw the Princeling smile as if he was _joking. _With _me_ of all people_.

I was frozen with astonishment and only began moving again when the rest of the Fellowship stopped and turned around to get me.

Weird.

Sometimes I think however I managed to get to Middle-Earth must have sent me bonkers.

Or maybe I've always been like this.

-----

_Well,_ I thought a day later, rubbing my bruised arm. _As it makes me feel better, I think what I saw on the Princeling's face yesterday was definitely _not_ a smile. It was him who plans these 'strategic lessons' however much he makes up about not participating in their damn creation._

The reason for my thoughts was that I had just come off fifth best in a fight against Aragorn, Boromir, Merry and Pippin. Even though it's highly unlikely that the two Hobbits would have beaten me on any other day, they were victorious this time because their race seems to have at least a _smidgen_ better eyesight than that of a human and were able to see all the damn obstacles that Moria threw at us. Despite my appearance of pointed ears and whatnot, I still seemed to only have eyesight limited to a human's unless I enhanced my vision like I did before, or if I used my orb to light things up.

It probably didn't help that I spent every other moment staring fixedly – as said before like a retarded bug – at my light because I wanted to figure out what was causing all that dark lightning.

Another justification for my loss was that the participants in our battle seemed to have found the stoniest, most hazardous flat area they could. Not to mention that just over to the left of was a huge drop that would most definitely deform any one being that fell off it beyond recognition of anything except perhaps an Orc.

Which is exactly why I _didn't_ want to fall. Orcs are ugly – I don't want to be mistaken for one.

"Gandalf?" I asked. "Aren't we supposed to be being quiet? I mean, sword fighting isn't exactly the most silent thing in the world."

The Wizard turned a blank stare to me and I realized that he hadn't heard me – he was lost in thought.

"Oh never mind," I said with a hint of grumpiness. "We'll have to face enemies sooner or later."

"Lady Víra, would you like to keep training?" Pippin asked hopefully.

"No!" I snapped. The Hobbit recoiled in shock.

"Sorry," I muttered.

I was cranky with Legolas, confused about everything to do with me, my power _and_ how I'd ended up here in the first place, and now they wanted to keep me _training_! Using the Elf's stupid ideas for my lessons!

And we were _supposed_ to be being quiet.

I muttered under my breath as I sat down and Legolas – who never participated in any of my training sessions and was currently sitting on a rock near me – moved away.

I squinted at him suspiciously.

"I don't smell do I?" I asked him. The Elf slowly shook his head.

"Well that's good," I said promptly. "But it's hard to say the same for you, Princeling."

No reaction. Weird

I tried again. This time using a different tactic.

"You know, Elf, you should really learn to listen!" I shouted in his ear. Legolas cringed, but didn't say or do anything.

I scowled.

"You're no fun," I announced, and walked over to sit on a stone away from the others and stare at my globe.

-----

"Dum dee dum… everyone's being _boring_," I grumbled to Mister No One as we were walking along the edge of a really sharp drop.

"If that is comparing us in relation to you, Víra, I doubt we will ever be interesting," Aragorn muttered.

"Very true," I said. "You know, we should really make up some travelling songs or – "

I cut off as I heard a scream from up ahead.

"Frodo!" Gandalf shouted, running to the cliff's edge.

Oh God, the Ring-bearer had slipped!

"We're a hobbit down!" I shouted, following the Wizard and carefully peering over the edge beside him, wondering frantically if Frodo was okay. I sighed with relief as I saw the Hobbit's fearful face looking up at us from a ledge that was only just small enough for him to stand on.

"You know," I said. "He's extremely lucky that that was there when he fell."

"There is no need to point out the obvious," Boromir snapped.

"Jeez, sorry mate, didn't mean to hurt anyone," I said, surprised at the Gondorian.

Then again, maybe he was being thingy about the Ring being so far away from him at the present time.

"Rope!" Gandalf ordered. Sam obligingly handed him a roll of woven strands that made up the entire Fellowship's supply of the stuff.

"I didn't know we had rope," I said. Everyone ignored me.

"Grab this," Aragorn called, looping the rope's end and lowering it down to Frodo.

_I hope it reaches,_ I thought, crossing my fingers.

It didn't.

"Oh _fantastic,_" I muttered dryly. "Just great."

"What do we have that can be used?" the Wizard asked, after calling a few comforting words to Frodo and pulling up the rope.

"Blankets?" Merry suggested. I took my bag off and hugged it to my chest.

"You're not using mine," I said defensively.

"You hold your bed sheets over a life, girl?" Legolas asked coldly.

"No, I just have a better idea," I told him, dropping my pack, walking to the edge of the drop and kneeling down. I held out my arms towards Frodo, fingers spread wide and concentrated on the Hobbit's small figure.

"Okay, this might feel a bit weird, Frodo, but I'd like you to stay really still," I told him. He nodded slowly.

"What are you planning, Víralairë?" Gandalf asked.

"I'm going to try to defy gravity," I said. The Wizard gave me a questioning look.

"I'm going to make him fly," I explained. Everyone gave me varying looks of strangeness.

"And you have done this before?" Legolas asked uncertainly.

"No," I said brightly. "I hope it works. _Amba_ (upwards)."

My hands pulsed with light and Frodo and the rock he was standing on began to glow. I focused on the Hobbit's outline and he started to rise slowly.

So did the stone.

"Help me," I grunted as I felt myself gradually being pulled forward because of the weight I was holding.

"How?" Merry asked.

"Hold me," I said through gritted teeth. "Stop me from falling. Hold my arms or something."

I felt the hands of Boromir and Aragorn each grip one of my wrists and I smiled gratefully. With them supporting me my load began to move more quickly.

And then it halted half way up.

"What's wrong?" asked Pippin, who'd been peering over the edge.

"No strength," I muttered weakly. _I'm carrying something too heavy for me,_ I realized. _I'm starting to get tired. Rocks are heavy…_

"Use their strength," Gandalf advised.

"What?" I asked. Frodo was beginning to float downwards. I could see his scared expression change to one of horror.

"Gather Aragorn's or Boromir's strength inside you and use it,"the Wizardsaid.

_But I've never used two spells at once!_ I thought. _Oh well, it's worth a try…_

"_Caren tulca_ (make me strong)," I mumbled, and then gasped. A warm light was spreading from the two men into myself and out through my hands. Glaring at the falling Hobbit and rock I used the two Men's energy and _pulled. _Frodo rose quickly and was soon level with us. Sam, Merry and Pippin pulled him off his support and hugged him.

"_Etelehta_," I said swiftly and the rock fell towards the bottom of the drop and hit. The sound echoed around the mines and I cringed.

There was no way of staying unknown to every horrible thing here after this.

The two Men let go of me and sat back.

"Never do that again," Boromir told me firmly.

"Why not?"

"It feels as though your heart is being pulled out from inside you," the Ranger said. I thought about how that would feel and decided on rather nasty.

"I promise," I assured them then got up. Walking over to the rescued Hobbit I was immediately smothered by four of them trying to embrace me.

"Get off," I ordered, but without my usual demand. I was given a tight squeeze and thanked a thousand times over before they did as I asked.

"You know Frodo," I said to the Hobbit, clapping my hand on his shoulder. "I never knew Hobbits could be so damn heavy. And I thought your race could see better than humans. How could you slip?"

I was given a bemused look and smiled innocently in return.

_And to think I knew everything that was going to arise,_ I thought, shaking my head as we began to walk again. _Because that never happened in anything I've ever read._

I'd have to keep my eyes open. I didn't want any more falling Hobbits.

-----

As we came up alongside of a large black cliff-thing, Gandalf raised his staff to the wall and studied the little silver veins of rock running through it.

"The wealth of Moria is not in gold, or jewels, but mithril," the Wizard told us. I stared at the shiny stuff.

This_ is what those Dwarves made Bilbo's vest out of?_ I thought in wonder.

"You would make a really good Dwarf, lass," Gimli said gruffly noting the direction of my gaze. I stared at him.

"That was a bit random. Why?" I asked.

"Because apart from lacking in the beard, the stature, and the ability to wield an axe, you are obsessed with glittery wealth," Legolas muttered dryly.

"I am not obsessed!" I protested, although I _had_ been thinking about what would be the best way to get some of the mithril as a souvenir. "I just like staring at shiny stuff!"

"Like that light of yours?" the Elf asked. I scowled.

"That's for a different reason entirely," I said huffily, folding my arms.

"Suit yourself," he said, shrugging and turning away.

_Okay, this is getting a bit too strange,_ I thought as I stared after him. _He's never passed by a reason to make fun of me._

Very weird.

"I never told him," Gandalf was saying to Frodo, "but its worth was greater than the value of the Shire."

I noticed Frodo hesitate before following.

Ha! I knew his little secret! But for the sake of not getting Galadriel cranky at me, I wasn't going to blab.

Soon we reached the stone-step-ladder thing.

"You'd think the Dwarves might've invented a more sufficient way of travelling," I grumbled to Gimli who was climbing slowly below me. I don't know how he managed it, but he did.

"What would you suggest?" the Dwarf asked, puffing slightly.

"I don't know, but not steps that you can't even use normally," I told him. "No one had better fall on me from up there!"

I got to the top and was hauled up by none other than Legolas, and once again I was forced to thank him. His mouth formed a sliver of a smile and I wondered if his pride was beginning to mend. That would explain why he wasn't attacking me with his words any more.

In that case then, I wish he'd hurry up. He was the only Elf in the Fellowship and I didn't know how long my obsession for his race would hold against my extreme dislike of _him_. It was stupid, but as soon as he forgave me, I'd forget everything evil that he's done just because he was an Elf and then I'd be able to forgive him.

If only he'd damn well hurry up!

"I have no memory of this place…" Gandalf murmured, looking around at all the three-or-so stone doorways that crumbled around the platform-thing we were standing on.

"Oh great, the old guy's lost his memories again," I said, completely in character. I got a scowl from Frodo and Sam and a funny look from Aragorn.

"What, haven't you guys heard of Alzheimer's Disease?" I asked.

-----

As everyone sat around waiting for Gandalf to choose a door I sat on a rock, looking at my globe and thinking. It seemed to me that that was my favourite pastime these days.

Maybe Legolas was right, and I _was_ obsessed with shiny things.

Anyway, Gandalf was going to fall once we met that damn Balrog. And then we'd be at Lothlórien, and I'd get my answers – which was good. But I still felt bad. Gandalf the Grey had to pass because Gandalf the White had to come into the picture but everyone was going to become all depressed and everything.

And I'd have to deal with all their tears and things. Oh, just great.

"What troubles you?" Boromir asked, sitting by me.

"Oh nothing," I said cheerfully. The Gondorian smiled.

"You are hiding something behind those emerald eyes of yours, Víralairë," he told me.

"It's nothing," I said firmly. I saw a flash of black and blinked. "What was…?"

"What?" Boromir asked, puzzled.

"Never mind," I said.

_Damn lightning,_ I thought.

"Are we lost?" Pippin whispered.

"No," Merry replied.

"I think we are," the Took said.

"Shh! Gandalf's thinking!"

"Merry?"

"What?"

"I'm hungry."

"Is there a time when you're not?" I muttered inaudibly.

Boromir got up and went to talk with Aragorn as Frodo spotted Gollum in the shadows and talked to Gandalf.

I waited.

"…You, also, were meant to have it," I heard Gandalf say. "And that is an encouraging thought. Ah! It's that way!"

Everyone turned to were he had indicated.

"He's remembered!" Merry exclaimed.

"No," Gandalf corrected. "But the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."

"It took you long enough to figure that out," I grumbled.

Moria was beginning to get on my nerves.

All those dead things…I shuddered. Blergh.

**Sorry for the wait, but I didn't get 15 reviews until near the end of last weekend, and it took me a while to finish this chappie coz of all my homework and assignments. :(**

**So…this time, everyone who reviews gets a…a…a cuddly-thingy of your favourite ELF:) I want one too, so I'll grab one before you guys all take them. Mine's Lego – no! Glorfy! NO! Aduial! She's cool! (shakes head) I can't decide, I'll just leave them all for you and read your reviews instead.**

**AND THERE MUST BE 15 REVIEWS FOR ME TO UPDATE! PREFERABLY MORE AND YOU MIGHT EVEN GET THE NEXT CHAP SOONER!**

_**Namárië!**_

**Lady ElfDragon :)**


	19. Falling Wizards!

**Wow! Thanks for all the reviews, guys :) I feel proud.**

**Hugs and telepathic niceness to: got-lotr, shadow929, Arialas, Da Evil BEAN, ArwenEvenstar83, Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, White Blossom of Gondor, erowyne (Thank you so much:) You can have an extrahug! (squeeze) :) YAY!), -incessant embers-, Lintered, sugar-high pixie, Elo, Fire wolfess, Shurtugalrulez , Sorceress of the Cat, Amareth's Shadow & CelticRoseOfTheLake.**

**Eheheh. When I made the cuddly offer for a shiny Elf, I made an extra-special supply of every SHINY Elf there is:) So now I can have some even though others took them. :) Aren't I smart:P**

**Disclaimer: I own my stuff, AND I'M DAMN WELL PROUD OF IT!**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 19: the unforgettable moment is nearly here…oh crap, what do I do?

-----

"Let me risk a little more light…" Gandalf muttered, raising his staff.

"Ooh! Let me help!" I said enthusiastically, and held my orb up above my head, concentrating so that my energy flowed more strongly into my hands and my light was even brighter than before.

"I didn't know you could do that," Pippin said.

"Neither did I," I admitted, "But most of the things I do come to me at the spur of the moment. It's like, _zap!_ and I know what to do. Pippin, I'd say always trust your instincts, and that includes your nose."

I turned to Gandalf.

"Behold, the great realm and Dwarf-city of Dwarrowdelf," the Wizard announced as our lights lit the whole thing up like a Christmas tree.

Well, not _exactly_, but you get the point.

"Now there's an eye-opener, and no mistake," Sam murmured.

I eyed the view carefully.

"It looks like a ton of stone pillars," I said mildly.

"But Lady Víra!" Pippin protested, running to stand by the nearest one. "They're _huge!_"

"So's everything that I seem to come across, except Hobbits," I told him.

"What about Dwarves?" Merry asked.

"Oh, they're huge too," I said nonchalantly, leaving a puzzled Gimli to figure out the meaning of my words.

For my sake I hope he didn't.

We began to walk slowly through all the huge stone pillars, all in awe except me, who had seen it a billion times before and was now only occupied by stamping down on the near irresistible urge to climb one of the things.

Yeah, I know. I'm weird.

Finally, we reached the end of the huge hall and I was able to look about without wanting to suddenly be a hundred feet in the air above everyone else's heads. Gimli, who was currently walking beside Gandalf, took in a sharp breath and ran forwards and around some rubble into a room that held a stone-coffin-monument-thing that was lit up by a light that beamed down from the ceiling.

I watched sadly and helplessly as Gimli cried out, unbelieving, and knelt before the stone. We all followed in after him and I awkwardly patted the Dwarf's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," I told him. My globe winked out. I didn't bother to light it again.

"It will not help, but many thanks lass," Gimli muttered.

"_Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria_," Gandalf read from the carvings on the stone surface. It looked to me like funny straight lines at odd angles, but then again, I couldn't read Dwarfish. Their language probably sounded like harsh, straight lines too.

"He is dead, then," the Wizard continued. "It's as I feared."

_Knowing what comes next is a great advantage,_ I thought gratefully as I watched Gandalf stoop to push a –

I gulped and looked away.

Well, he picked up Moria's log book anyway.

I sat down beside Gimli and tried not to look at anything except things that were still alive and breathing while Gandalf read out the last few pages of the entries.

"We must move on," I heard Legolas say urgently to Aragorn. "We cannot linger."

_For once, I agree with you,_ I thought, smiling at him. The Elf smiled back and in my surprise my own grin fell from my face. Legolas quickly smoothed his own features and I was left staring at him, only half-listening to what Gandalf was saying.

"…_A Shadow moves in the dark_," the Wizard was saying when I'd gotten over my shock. I tried not to notice Pippin moving towards the bucket-holding skeleton while holding Gandalf's hat and staff. My hand started to twitch, and I hurriedly busied myself in once again loosening my blades in their sheaths so I could draw them quickly. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the Elf and the two Men do the same.

Wow. They sure learn fast – when Víralairë readies her weapons it means you all should do the same. Go me.

"_We cannot get out_," Gandalf continued. "_They are coming_."

I stood up as Pippin twisted the skeleton's hand, causing the head to drop off down the hole, knock the thing off-balance and sending it down the well-thing dragging a chain and the bucket with it. The whole thing echoed throughout the mines, as loud as any noise we'd been making before now and the poor Hobbit winced at every crash we heard. He looked up at Gandalf fearfully. I saw the anger in the Wizard's eyes and shut my ears from the explosion to come.

"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf growled, shutting the volume and throwing it down beside him. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity."

"Hey!" I shouted. "He's not stupid!"

Gandalf turned to me.

"And as for you, Víralairë," the Wizard said sternly. "If Peregrin's antics had not yet awoken Moria, your shout will now do that for him!"

I stared at him, agape.

"I think someone's a little too stressed," I muttered, turning away.

"He did not mean it," Legolas murmured. I stared at him in shock too, until he looked away, embarrassed.

A deep booming sound came to my ears and my eyes widened in horror.

"Oh crap, the evil guys are here!" I yelled and hopped from foot to foot waiting for them all to give me weird looks.

None came. They were all nearly as afraid as I was. Which happened to be a lot.

"Frodo!" Sam exclaimed. Frodo partially unsheathed his sword and I saw the blade glowing bright blue.

"Orcs!" Legolas announced.

"Figured that out a long time ago, mate," I told him. "Running sounds like a good option right now – can we?"

Aragorn shook his head.

"Have courage," Gimli muttered to me. I smiled at him and unsheathed one of my blades.

Boromir ran to the way we had come in and grabbed the door.

"Look out!" I cried fearfully and the Gondorian threw his head back just as two arrows thudded into where it had been a moment before.

"Get back!" Aragorn shouted, herding the Hobbits together. "Stay close to Gandalf! You too, Víra!"

"No way, I'm helping," I told him firmly. He hesitated once and then raced to help Boromir bar the door.

"They have a cave troll," the Gondorian announced as he shut the door.

"A really nice beast to have as a pet," I said. "It is violent and angry and great for doing dirty work like attacking poor innocent Fellowships like us!"

The Hobbits stared at me. I smiled.

As Legolas began to throw the Men axes and long things to lock the door, I walked up to them and placed a hand on the frame.

"Get back!" Boromir hissed. I just looked at him and sighed, shaking my head.

"_Tulca_ _ve sarna_ (strong as stone)," I said, turning back towards the door. Under my hands I felt the wood harden as Boromir placed the last barring axe across the door. I nodded in satisfaction and stepped back as it was pounded against, sending hums through my body.

_Oh God,_ I thought fearfully. _I hope it doesn't give all its breaks and scratches to me like Bill did…_

But to my relief, the only sensation I received was a slight vibration in my stomach. I unsheathed my other blade and ran to stand between Aragorn and Legolas who held their bows strung and drawn.

"Let them come!" Gimli growled, clambering up onto the stone coffin. "There is one Dwarf yet in Moria that still draws breath!"

"Um, Gimli," I muttered. "I'd rather stay alive then face what's coming to us from out there."

Only Legolas heard me. He smiled slightly.

My stomach started to knot and I figured that the door wasn't going to hold much longer, even with my help.

"Wow, if they can break through stone-hardened wood there must be an awful lot of them," I said.

"If it holds you will save us all," Aragorn spoke into my ear.

"Unfortunately, it's not going to hold," I said lamely as I felt my spell release itself and saw the door return to wood. "I guess I wasn't strong enough," I added sadly as holes began to be knocked out of the wood.

"You did fine, girl," Legolas muttered. "Now help us with these arrows!"

Realizing an instant later what he meant I put down my blades at my feet and grabbed the Elf's and the Ranger's arrows in each hand.

"_Nar!_ (Flame!)" I shouted and drew my hands back as fire burst from my fingertips. Legolas let his fly and Aragorn's followed a moment after – small explosions followed both impacts. I tried to block out the Orcs' screams.

As I shouted the word again and the arrows were fired the door burst open and a swarm of ugly things screeched themselves into the room.

"Can't help any more," I muttered, picking up my blades and guarding my body with them, looking uncertainly at the advancing Orcs.

_Okay, it's either them or me, and right now I prefer me,_ I thought grimly. However way I thought of it I'd still have to kill – unless, of course, I wanted to be killed first.

Erm, no. I like living, thank you.

As the first Orc approached me I swung out at its neck and ignored the sickening thud of the impact. The thing fell with a screech. Another two quickly filled the place it had left and I blocked and dodged their swipes at me and thrust my knives out sharply. They fell.

Those two were replaced with another three and so on until I had to duck away for some room to swing my Elvin knives. Slash – I hoped that that one didn't need its hand…stab – or its head. I ducked as I heard a warning shout from behind me and my new attacker's weapon skimmed over my head. I kicked out and heard a grunt as they fell. I turned to see Boromir finishing them off before spinning to defend myself against the ton of ugly Orcs still coming towards me.

It occurred to me as I was attacking them that these Orcs really had no idea how to fight properly. They were all just rushing at us and swinging wildly. Strange.

Although, it's probably really hard to train a ton of squabbling beings like these in a dark place like Moria.

Pity there's so many of the damn things.

And then the worst happened.

"The big ugly brute's here!" I shouted and backed hastily away from the cave troll that had decided to do some interior decoration by getting rid of the door and the surrounding brickwork.

I decided to leave the troll to the others and instead finish off the stupid Orcs that kept trying to attack me. I struck out at one coming towards me, and shuddered as it fell.

They were all way too easy to kill.

In the midst of all its roaring and wild swinging of its spiky club, the troll had decided to try and step on Sam and squish him.

"Move!" I yelled to him, but before he could the troll was pulled back by Aragorn and Boromir who were heaving on a huge heavy chain that was attached to it somehow. Sam quickly scrambled out of reach. The troll proceeded to exact its revenge by picking up Boromir and throwing him against the opposite wall. I drew in a sharp breath and ran over to him, but he rose and shook his head to clear it before standing to fight again.

I let my breath go.

Jeez, all my nerves were on edge and people getting knocked about wasn't helping them at all!

I turned back to the troll in time to see its huge filthy hand reach out towards me and I screamed as it wrapped its thick digits around my middle.

"Get of me!" I yelled, slashing at its knuckles and only managing to create a series of shallow cuts on the troll's fingers. "God! What is this thing made from?"

I struggled as it lifted me off my feet, squeezing the breath out of me and shaking me violently, causing me to drop my knives.

I gasped in pain as red spots danced across my vision and everything began to blur. Arrows thudded into the overly large wrist, making the troll bellow in pain. I heard Gimli's yell and knew an axe had been embedded in the troll's chest. It grip on me slackened and I dropped to the floor, coughing and gasping as beside me it smashed Balin's tomb in an attempt to hit the Dwarf. I tried to urge breath back into my winded and bruised lungs as the battle raged around me.

_Blades!_ I thought frantically, groping around half blindly, still gasping.

"Move, girl!" Legolas shouted as he let two arrows fly and hit the troll's shoulder. I found my twin weapons and scrambled out of the way as it staggered towards me, only narrowly missing being flattened into a Víra-pie.

Still unable to breathe evenly but with returning vision, I glanced around for the Hobbits and saw three of them behind a pillar. I sighed with relief and immediately regretted it – it made me start to cough again. When I looked up after the fit had passed, the cave troll was hefting its club to take a swing at Legolas.

I felt my chest seize up, and this time it wasn't because I'd had all the air squeezed out of me.

I was afraid for the Elf. Strange.

Its interior decorating skills way off track, the brute troll decided to make a few holes in the wall along with trying a new paint called 'flattened Elf'. The first succeeded, but Legolas avoided the club and the new style of paint was lost to Middle-Earth forever.

What a shame.

Not.

The stupid thing managed to get its weapon stuck in the wall and the Princeling walked up it tightrope-style and clambered onto its back. Aiming his bow at the troll's head he embedded a few arrows there and jumped off before it pounded him in its pain.

Then I realized that I was supposed to be helping to fight as well.

Standing shakily I took a deep breath and – finding that I _could_ breathe – I ran over to Sam and helped the Hobbit slash at a few of the Orcs attacking him.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this," he told me after finishing off one of his attackers

"Someone's getting a bit violent," I muttered to him. He just smiled grimly and launched himself again into fighting.

And so it continued.

"This is taking bloody forever!" I grumbled, fighting random attackers. "Someone finish that thing off already!"

I heard Pippin yell and spun towards the three previously hiding Hobbits. Obviously, they weren't hidden any longer and were now in serious danger from a huge spiky club. Fortunately, they had sense enough to dodge it as the troll brought it crashing down, Pippin and Merry leaping one way, Frodo running in the other.

"Frodo!" Aragorn shouted, and fought his way across the room towards the Hobbit. I did the same. The troll peered around the pillar, trying to find Frodo but the Ring-barer cleverly manoeuvred himself out of its sight.

Then the troll went quiet.

Frodo, thinking that it'd gone to fight something else, edged around to the back of the pillar to hide himself again. As I fought I watched the troll lean around the side and roar at him, making the Hobbit fall backwards in fright. The thing grabbed Frodo and dragged him away from the corner. The Hobbit frantically called out the Ranger's name and I increased my attacking speed so I began to move more quickly towards him.

Grabbing a long, sharp spear, Aragorn thrust it into the troll's stomach. Pippin and Merry began throwing rocks at the thing's head. I reached them and watched in horror as Aragorn was knocked aside like a rag doll and crumpled to the ground, unconscious. I ran over to him and was followed quickly by Frodo. The Hobbit shook him but I pushed him aside and knelt beside the Ranger.

I realized a little too late that I'd pushed the Hobbit into the troll's direct line of sight and spun to see the Hobbit trapped in a corner.

"No!" I shouted, but the troll had picked up Aragorn's spear and thrust it at Frodo's stomach. Within a moment, all the fighting in the chamber had ceased and within another, it had started up again, more fiercely than before.

I couldn't believe what I'd done. Now they were all going to blame me, even when they saw that Frodo had survived.

Startled out of my thoughts by a roar I didn't turn to see the troll fall with Legolas's arrow in its throat. Instead I looked towards the Ranger and found Aragorn stirring beside me.

"Frodo?" he asked. I pointed to the Hobbit who had fallen with the spear beneath him. Aragorn crawled and Sam walked towards the still figure.

"Oh, no," Aragorn whispered, pulling the Hobbit's shoulder and rolling him onto his back.

Frodo gasped.

"Being winded isn't all that nice, is it?" I asked, walking over. The Hobbit shook his head slightly.

"He's alive," Sam said in relief.

"I'm all right," Frodo spoke with a gasping breath. "I'm not hurt."

"You should be dead," Aragorn said in wonder. "That spear would've skewered a wild boar!"

"Probably," I said. "But it would've skewered a Hobbit too."

Aragorn gave me a confused look.

"I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye," Gandalf said with a small smile. Frodo obligingly opened his shirt and revealed the mithril vest beneath.

"Ooh! It's so shiny!" I said. "Can I have it?"

"No, Lady Víra," Frodo said, speaking sternly. I realized that he was upset with me for putting him in danger.

"You cannot blame the girl," Legolas said to the Hobbit. "She was only trying to help Aragorn."

Frodo's face cleared as he looked at the Ranger and I looked at Legolas thankfully.

"So, no blaming the girl?" I asked the Hobbit. Frodo shook his head, making my smile widen.

My face fell when I heard the screeching of more Orcs and Goblins coming from the doorway.

"Can we run _now_?" I asked Gandalf hopefully. He nodded.

"To the bridge of Khazad-dûm!" he ordered. I wiped my blades clean on a scrap of material before sheathing them and racing out the back entrance followed closely behind by the rest of the Fellowship.

Past the threshold was another enormous hall of pillars and I nearly stumbled as I thought my orb into appearance. It flickered once with black lightening and lit up our surrounds in an instant.

"Those things are so noisy!" I shouted over the screeches of our followers.

"Be silent and run! This way!" Aragorn called to me.

"Whatever!"

Hundreds of Goblins and Orcs surrounded us, some even climbing down from the ceiling like spiders.

"What do we do now?" I shouted as we were forced to stop or run into the ones in front of us. "Wow, these guys are horrid!"

Unsheathing one of my knives I looked around, realizing that there was a considerable distance between me and the Goblins and Orcs around me. I waved my globe experimentally in their faces and they backed up hastily.

I smiled evilly.

"I've got an idea," I said to my companions. "Close your eyes, people."

"Are you daft, lass – ?" Gimli began.

"Just do it!" I hissed at him. Not waiting to see if they'd done as I asked I thought back to my nights at Rivendell.

"_Cala _(light)!" I shouted, squeezing my eyes shut. Pained screeches filled my ears. I opened my eyes to see them all backing away very quickly and grinned.

"Wow, it worked!" I exclaimed. "I hope I didn't blind anyone important."

A loud boom came to my ears. I sighed as everyone froze and the hundreds of hopefully blinded enemies scampered away. Another boom. I turned my head slowly to the huge red-edged arch and extinguished my light, unsheathing my other blade.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir whispered to Gandalf.

"Something you'd never face in your worst nightmare," I told him. My voice shook.

"A Balrog," Gandalf said slowly. "A demon of the ancient world."

"Ai! Ai! A Balrog! A Balrog is come!" I said loudly. Legolas looked at my strangely.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"This foe is beyond any of you," the Wizard continued as if nothing had been said. "Run!"

"Okay!" I said, and ran.

"Quickly!" the Wizard called, pointing us all towards a doorway.

"Watch out for the stairs!" I shouted from behind the group as they all raced through it without checking what was in front of them. As a result, Boromir saw the edge a little too late and wobbled off balance. Legolas stepped forwards and pulled the Gondorian back towards us.

"Gandalf?" Aragorn asked the Wizard.

"Lead them on, Aragorn," he told the Ranger. "The bridge is near. Do as I say! Swords are no more use here."

"That's true," I commented, running down the sideways stair that had nearly killed Boromir. "Hurry! Why don't these bloody steps have railings?"

They all followed me until I stopped in front of a large gap knocked in the stair.

"Okay, what now?" I asked.

"Jump," Legolas said, before taking his own advice and leaping across the gap. I followed him and was caught tightly in the Elf's arms before he released me and called the Wizard. I blinked as the Balrog's footsteps echoed around us.

"This can't get any worse, can it?" I asked no one in particular.

Then rocks started falling.

Great.

The Wizard crossed, followed by Boromir, Merry and Pippin. The gap widened. Legolas began firing at the Orcs that had begun to fire at us while Aragorn threw Sam across. Gimli protested at being tossed and nearly fell, but the Elf grabbed his beard and pulled him back as more of the stair collapsed.

Aragorn and Frodo were left on the other side.

As the part of the stair they were onwas knockedby a falling boulder, the Ranger called out to the Hobbit to lean forward. With their weight, the stair tipped towards us and thudded into our own part but not before the two had jumped off. And we were running again.

At the base, Gandalf directed us towards a thin sliver of rock.

"Over the bridge! Fly!" he shouted.

"_That's_ a bridge?" I asked loudly. I felt the heat of the Balrog's roar from behind me and decided that now was not the time for stupid questions. I followed the Princeling across the 'bridge' which was more like a stone toothpick strung across a rather large gap.

I just hoped no one fell.

When I reached the other side I turned back. Gandalf was standing in the middle of the ravine, and in front of him was a huge mound of flame and roars that was the Balrog. I froze in horror.

"Come on, girl!" Legolas said, grabbing my arm and pulling me behind him.

"No," I said, wrenching myself from his grip. "I'm helping Gandalf."

He couldn't fall. I didn't care what Galadriel had said, I didn't want him to fall and cause all the Fellowship sorrow. I couldn't let all my companions weep for someone who was coming back anyway.

"No, you are not," the Elf said firmly. Stepping behind me he grabbed me and all but pushed me towards the others.

"Leave me alone!" I shouted at him, knocking his hands away. "I can walk by myself you know! And I'm going to help him whether you like it or not!"

"You cannot pass!" Gandalf shouted from behind us. I stopped struggling and turned to look at the Wizard. Legolas took the chance to secure his hands around my shoulders.

Stupid Elf.

"Gandalf!" Frodo cried. The Balrog flared even brighter. I didn't know how it was possible, but it did.

"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor," Gandalf told the fire-demon, crossing his sword and his staff and raising them above his head. "The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn!"

"Uh oh – _turma_ (shield)!" I shouted, throwing my hands out towards the Wizard. I knew that he already had a shield, but I reinforced it, just in case. As the Balrog struck I felt my shield shatter, but Gandalf's stayed firm, protected beneath mine.

"Go back to the Shadow," Gandalf hissed, letting his shield fade. The Balrog took a step forward and cracked its fiery whip.

"You shall not pass!" Gandalf hollered, slamming his staff onto the surface of the bridge. It seemed to do nothing, or so the Balrog thought. It stupidly took a step forward.

The stone in front of Gandalf collapsed. The fire-demon fell with a roar.

Legolas's grip on me loosened and I slid away from him.

"_Nurtan_ (hide me)!" I shouted.

"Víra!" Aragorn yelled.

I ran, invisible, to the bridge where Gandalf was turning back towards us, thinking his task done.

"No!" I shouted as the Balrog's whip flicked up and caught Gandalf around his ankle. The Wizard was dragged to the edge of the drop and I knelt beside him.

"Is that you, Víralairë?" he asked. I realized he had heard me. "Child, do not fear for me. You know what I must do."

I nodded, and even though he couldn't see me he seemed to know what I was doing and smiled slightly.

"Take care of them," he told me. Then, facing the others, "Fly, you fools!"

He let go.

"No!" Frodo screamed from behind me. I stood and walked slowly back towards him, Boromir, Aragorn and Legolas, not noticing the arrows that hit the stones around my feet.

"Where is Víra?" Aragorn asked as I approached. Legolas pointed at my feet and I knew he has seen chips of stone stirred by my steps.

"Come then," the Ranger spoke swiftly as Boromir hauled a very distraught Frodo through the exit.

"_Etelehta_," I muttered and brushed past Legolas out into the light.

**I HATE ASSIGNMENTS! GRRRRRRR I WISH I DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THEM!…Now that I've go that out of my system…**

**Sorry for the abrupt ending, but I have to work on my assignments now and finish them all within…about three hours. Great. Just what I need.**

**And questions anyone has will be answered eagerly and if you review you will all get a cute mini Hobbit:) Enjoy!**

_**Namárië!**_

**Lady ElfDragon**


	20. The second change

**THANK TO ELO FOR THE INVISIBILITY IDEA! HA! NOW YOU CAN'T GET MAD – I EVEN DID IT ALL IN CAPITALS!**

**Sorry about that. That's just me classifying my friend's modified idea.**

**:) THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS!**

**Cute Hobbits to: got-lotr, Elo (grrrrrrr), White Blossom of Gondor, erowyne ( -in background- OK people! On the orders of erowyne I'm to give you all hugs:) YAY!), Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, shadow929, Lintered, Arialas, Shurtugalrulez (who I think is now an Orc slayer of some kind), R. K. Binx, sugar-high pixie, Sorceress of the Cat, Socks Are Yummy, ArwenEvenstar83, missfroggie779, AngelUndertheOpera, Rockgirl (of course I'll continue! See? A chapter in the works already! Reviews and chapters are like my life-blood. Lol. And thank you very much for reviewing!), -incessant embers-, me (whoever you are, thank you!), Killshea Kavani (lol. You're Amareth's Shadow!), Eru (who finally reviewed! Lol) & Shadowstalker (here's the update).**

**Disclaimer: AND AGAIN! _Ok, strangely enough there are billions of people in the world that DON'T own Lord Of The Rings, and I happen to be one of them. But I show my great adoration of Tolkien by writing a fanfic of his and Jackson's work, which can hardly be compared to either of theirs…Oh! And what Gimli says in Dwarfish to Haldir is courtesy of so don't blame me if it's wrong (which I'm sure it isn't)._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 20: ANSWERS…nearly

-----

"Etelehta_," I muttered and brushed past Legolas out into the light._

Outside Moria everyone looked at me with unfocused eyes and I looked sadly back. I looked for Frodo and as soon as I saw his distanced form my chest felt tight with tears. I thought of Gandalf as I had never known him – I saw him from Frodo's heart and looked away, feeling bitter. As soon as the feeling had come it passed, and I was left with my own sadness for their loss, but not mine, because I was the only one who knew he was coming back. I blinked in confusion.

What the…?

I faced Frodo and was again filled with painful sadness.

I looked away.

Oh, God. I could tell what Frodo was thinking and feeling!

Looking back to the Hobbit and trying not to cringe at the emotions that swamped my mind, I squinted, looking for the fire and the tentacles that I'd seen at the Council. Thick black tendrils faded into existence about Frodo. Over half of the tentacles the Ring emitted were reaching out to Boromir, and most of the others were floating around Frodo lazily. The ball of flame that had previously engulfed the Ring was – by normal standards – supposed to be hidden by the Hobbit's back. Instead, I could see the fire glowing bright green through Frodo's chest.

I looked away from it, my eyes wide.

The Ring's fire had changed colour.

And not just that. It'd changed to match my _eyes_.

_Okay,_ I thought rapidly, still shocked. _There is obviously something weird going on here, and judging from where we are, hopefully I'll be finding out what very soon._

Walking over to Aragorn I asked if we could leave. He wiped his sword clean and nodded.

"Legolas," he ordered. "Get them up. Víra, you help."

Legolas didn't really look like he wanted to do anything at the moment, so I walked up to him and stepped lightly on his foot.

"Come on," I told him when he scowled at me.

Wow, I hadn't seen that expression for a while.

Not caring if he did as I asked or not, I turned away from him and went over to Gimli.

"Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" Boromir yelled at us.

"By nightfall, these hills will be swarming with Orcs," Aragorn told the Gondorian, sheathing his sword.

"Besides, I don't know anyone called pity," I muttered. "Come on Gimli, get up. Everything will be okay."

"We must reach the woods of Lothlórien," Aragorn continued. "Come, Boromir. Legolas. Víra. Gimli, get them up."

I started after Frodo, trying not to look directly at him or the now fading tendrils of the Ring.

"Frodo?" I heard Aragorn call. "Frodo!"

The Hobbit stopped when he heard the Ranger's voice and turned.

I ducked down quickly so I didn't have to see the despair in his eyes. I was already holding a great amount of sympathy for the Fellowship, I didn't need any more.

-----

And then we ran. Joy.

Aragorn led us past the black and grey rocks to a place where it had started to become green again. I raced the Ranger a few times, but he always ended up winning, which in my opinion was fair. He was taller.

Not to mention a lot fitter.

"Are we nearly there?" I panted as we came within sight of a ton of trees.

"Nearly," Aragorn assured me.

-----

And he was right.

What am I saying? Aragorn's _always_ right. I think.

Anyway, within half an hour we were entered the woodland realm of Lothlórien. And suddenly, everything was peaceful. You could almost hear the stuff around us – like the leaves – whispering 'we-are-peaceful-we-are-peaceful-we-are-peaceful' over and over until we two-legged people got it into our heads that all was calm. You could almost hear the Elves singing in the distance. If you were an Elf, that is.

And how were those whispering leaves supposed to work anyway? How could we be calm if we'd just seen our Wizard friend fall into the depths of Moria?

"Say close, young Hobbits!" Gimli told the Halflings, beckoning to them. "They say that a great sorceress lives in these woods. An Elf-witch of terrible power."

"You called me that once, Gimli," I reminded him. "And I'm not terrible."

"The truth of could be questioned," Legolas murmured.

"Hey!"

"…and all who look upon her," Gimli continued, "fall under her spell…"

"Dwarves," I sighed in mock irritation.

_Frodo…_

I shook my head to clear it. I wasn't supposed to be hearing Galadriel's voice.

"And are never seen again," the Dwarf finished.

"Did you say something, Lady Víra?" Frodo asked quietly. I looked at him, then looked away when my head was filled with his confusion.

"No," I muttered, just as quietly.

_Your coming to us is as the footsteps of doom, Víralairë. You bring great evil here, Elda-hína…_

_Hang on – aren't you supposed to say that to Frodo?_ I asked uncertainly.

Except using his names, not mine.

_I speak only the truth,_ Galadriel told me, sending a shiver down my spine. _And I repeat the truth to you._

So she _had_ told Frodo.

And then me.

God, what had I done this time?

"Mr. Frodo? Lady Víra?" Sam asked us. I realized that we'd both been staring off into space.

"I'm fine," I assured him.

"Well, here's one Dwarf she won't ensnare so easily," Gimli declared, continuing his tale. "I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox."

"Sure you do," I said sarcastically as half a dozen arrows were pointed in our faces.

"The Dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark," an Elf said snidely, stepping forwards. I scowled at him.

"You leave him alone, or you'll end up like Legolas was, Haldir," I said to him. He just ignored me.

My scowl deepened. As much as I love Elves, I can't stand them being mean to Dwarves. Or ignoring grumpy Víralairë's.

I continued glaring at him in hopes that he would apologize for ignoring me. I supposed I could have frozen him or set his hair on fire, but I think that that would've made Aragorn angry.

Not to mention that I'd probably get an arrow in the throat for my troubles.

-----

We were all standing in a large group in front of Haldir. He was talking to the people he knew – like Legolas and Aragorn – and leaving the rest of us out.

Understandably, I was grumpy.

"Haldir," I finally growled. "You could at least say 'hi' or something."

"I do not wish to speak to those that are yet unknown," he informed me.

"You're doing a fine job of speaking to me now," I said. "And you _do_ know about me."

He ignored me.

I sighed. This was getting nowhere.

Gimli, apparently, thought the same.

"So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves!" he grumbled. "Speak in words we can all understand!"

"We have not had dealings with the Dwarves since the Dark Days," Haldir said, looking down at Gimli.

"That doesn't mean you can't speak to them," I muttered under my breath. Aragorn elbowed me in my ribs.

"And you know what this Dwarf says to that?" Gimli growled. "Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul!"

"That was not so courteous," the Ranger told him.

"Oh, come _on_," I snapped. "Why can't we leave for Caras Galadhon already?"

"You bring a great evil with you," Haldir said, as if in answer to my annoyed question. "You can go no further."

I wondered if he was talking about the Ring Frodo carried, or what Galadriel had said about me.

I hoped it was Frodo.

-----

I sat down with my pack beside me as Aragorn started discussing our position with Haldir.

_What had Galadriel meant when she said that I brought a great evil with me?_ I thought to myself. As it was nearly dark, I instinctively thought my light orb into existence. Around me, I heard the Elves' murmured exclamations and smiled to myself.

Abruptly, my globe flickered black. My smile vanished.

_That dark lightning's becoming more and more frequent,_ I thought worriedly. _I wonder if _this_ is what Galadriel meant about evil…?_

"You are well?" Legolas asked.

I jumped, startled. "Yes I'm fine."

The Elf looked at me.

"Then why do you seem worried?" he asked.

"Oh, it's nothing…" I told him.

"You are sure?" he still sounded uncertain.

I nodded.

"Very well," Legolas said. He looked over his shoulder. I followed his gaze and found myself looking at Frodo. Thankfully, I felt no emotions as I glanced at him and before long he looked away towards Sam, who, in turn, turned away. Frodo looked at each one of the Fellowship before looking away.

As Boromir turned to speak to Frodo I looked over at the arguing Ranger and Elf. Aragorn finally seemed to be getting somewhere.

"I still do not believe that you are free of worry," Legolas said, interrupting my thoughts.

"Look, Princeling –" I began, but was cut off by another Elf's voice.

"You will follow me," Haldir told us, not looking happy at all.

Jeez. It wasn't as if we were going to destroy Lothlórien or curse it or anything. Who did he think we were?

-----

Around two days later we were standing on a hill slope, looking at a huge forest-glade-tree-thing that was glowing gold in the sunset.

"Caras Galadhon," Haldir proclaimed. "The heart of Elvendom on earth."

"Um, aren't we in Middle-Earth?" I asked.

"Realm of the Lord Celeborn," the Elf continued, not listening to me, "and of Galadriel, Lady of Light."

"Well done," I said, earning another jab in the ribs from Aragorn. "Can we go now?"

And after much scowling on Haldir's part, we did.

-----

"Climbing, climbing, climbing, climbing up this damned long stair," I muttered. "If I ran up and down these every day would I be able to beat you in a race, Aragorn?"

At least the stairs around this giant tree were walkable, unlike those stairs in Moria.

The Ranger shrugged.

"How do you put up with her?" I heard Haldir whisper to him. I was obviously meant to hear it because he wasn't speaking in Elvish.

"Because the Ranger's not a really weird Elf," I muttered.

"You are calling me strange?" Haldir demanded.

"I never said _you_ were, I just said that Aragorn _wasn't_," I told him, smiling sweetly.

Legolas smiled in spite of himself.

"_He's_ the weird one," I nodded to the Princeling. Legolas's smile just widened.

Wow. I wonder when he figured out the difference between teasing and being mean?

Who cares? At least he finally had.

-----

We got to the top of the tree – or what I supposed was the top – and waited to be greeted by Celeborn and Galadriel.

"Are you ready to see your 'Elf-witch'?" I asked Gimli. I tried to classify his expression but couldn't. I finally decided on determinedly confident with a sprinkle of uncertainty.

Yes, mixing cooking with emotions is my specialty.

I looked up as Galadriel and Celeborn came down the stairs in front of us, hand in hand. Aragorn raised his hand to his forehead in greeting.

I just waved.

_Galadriel,_ I thought. _Please, _please, _give me some answers. It's really been bugging me._

_In time, child,_ she said back.

Oh.

Okay.

_Soon?_ I asked.

_Soon,_ she promised. I nodded, and then whispered to Merry to close his mouth because he was gawping.

"The enemy knows you have entered here," Celeborn began. "What hope you have in secrecy is now gone. Nine there are here, yet ten there were set out from Rivendell."

Galadriel looked over at Aragorn and, seemingly, read his mind.

"Tell me, where is Gandalf?" Celeborn continued. "For I much desire to speak with him. I can no longer see him from afar."

"Well, that's not surprising," I muttered. Legolas stepped on my foot to tell me to shut up, and probably to get me back from that time a few days ago. I just smiled innocently at him.

"Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land," Galadriel answered the Elf Lord. He turned to her as she continued. "He has fallen into shadow."

Aragorn and I nodded slightly.

_But he'll be back,_ I thought firmly. Galadriel shook her head.

"He was taken by both Shadow and flame," Legolas said solemnly.

"A Balrog," I added, just in case they didn't understand.

"Of Morgoth," the Princeling said, "For we went needlessly into the net of Moria."

Gimli bowed his head.

"Oh, I wouldn't say needlessly," I said. "If we didn't, we would've been caught by Orcs or had to have walked over that mountain."

"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life," Galadriel said softly. "We do not know yet his full purpose."

Wow. It was like she knew he was going to be back or something.

The she-Elf saw Gimli's saddened posture and smiled.

"Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-Dûm fill your heart Gimli, Son of Glóin," she said. "For the world has grown full of peril and in all lands love is now mingled with grief."

The Dwarf stared at Galadriel as if frozen. I elbowed him.

"Gimli?" I asked. "You're not 'falling under her spell' are you?"

Gimli shook his head, still staring. I smiled.

Boromir looked away from Galadriel's gaze, near to weeping. I frowned at the Gondorian, but then again, I suppose it wasn't his fault he had an obsession for the One Ring.

"What now becomes of this Fellowship?" Celeborn asked. "Without Gandalf, hope is lost."

"Ha!" I exclaimed. "That's what you think!"

Everyone looked at me like I'd grown a large variety of fifty heads.

"Sorry," I muttered. Celeborn nodded his assent.

"The quest stands upon the edge of a knife," Galadriel noted. "Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all."

"No kidding," I said, then remained silent until the end of Galadriel's speech.

Suddenly, I was very tired.

"Can we…?" I trailed off at a look from Aragorn. I guess he was sick of my interrupting.

"Tonight," Galadriel was saying, "you will sleep in peace."

Her eyes flickered towards Frodo and he stared back. Her gaze then lifted from the Hobbit and landed on me.

I was suddenly flooded with cold and felt as if the breath was being squeezed out of my lungs.

_What are you doing?_ I thought frantically at Galadriel.

_I am seeking the darkness I sensed when you entered this realm,_ she told me. _Please, child, be calm. Let me into your heart._

_But it feels like you're pulling me apart!_ I cried mentally._ Stop! You're hurting me!_

Hardly thinking, I took hold of her presence and _pushed_. I stepped back with shock as I felt her ripped from my mind. Up on the stair, Galadriel blinked and took a slow breath.

_Sorry about that,_ I told her. _I was just_ –

"Please allow Víralairë to remain here," Galadriel spoke softly. "I wish to speak to her alone. Escort the others to their rooms."

Two blonde-haired Elves appeared out of nowhere and the Fellowship offered their thanks and turned to go. Just as they began to walk down the staircase, Pippin ran back to me and looked up to my face.

"Look in your blades, Lady Víra," he advised and I gave him a puzzled look as he waved and ran to catch the others.

"In my…?" I began. O_h crap,_ I thought. Hurriedly unsheathing one of my Elvin blades I reflected the fading light into my eyes and stared.

Gold.

My eyes were shining yellow like gold nugget.

I dropped my blade in shock.

Racing over to the stair and squinting after the Fellowship, I faintly saw the black tendrils reaching out from Frodo and the centre fire where they all joined…

I sat down in the ground with a thump. The fire was yellow. Like my eyes.

I swore under my breath. The Elves within hearing distance gasped.

"You now see why I wished you to stay?" Galadriel asked. I turned to her and nodded.

"I did not think that this would happen so soon," she continued, half to herself. "I thought that I would have more time. But I will tell you something of this at least. Come."

I stood and walked over to where I had dropped my weapon and sheathed it. Bowing first to Celeborn with my hands together over my chest like in prayer I turned to follow Galadriel who was walking another way down from the giant tree.

"She is a strange child, is she not, my Lord?" I heard one of the Elves ask Celeborn.

"She is the Elda-hína," Celeborn replied. "There is no more to it than that."

_How true,_ I thought, smiling.

**I know I was going to enlighten you all to everything in this chappie but it was longer than I thought until they got to where they are at the moment. Sorry. PLEASE DON'T HURT ME:P I promise at least _something_ in the next chapter, and there's a lot to explain but I know you'll all love it. Mind you, there will be a few weird things while Víra's here. There IS a lot of Elves, after all, and you've got to love the Elves.**

…**I might even type the next chapter tomorrow if I have enough time…**

**Okay, ---PLEASE READ!--- I have the first chapter of an InuYasha fic typed up on my computer, I'm just wondering if anyone would read it if I posted it. I actually had it up before, but then I took it down again. So, tell me in a review about this chap and tell me if you'll read my InuYasha one, OK? Please? And thank you so much if you do.**

**Once again, I hope you enjoyed this chappie, and please, PLEASE review:) It will make me _very_ happy. Anyone who does review will get a Surprise-In-A-Box with their favourite LOTR character inside! I'll take a Víra and a Elfy and a Aragorn and a Pippin and a Faramir and a…lol.**

_**Namárië!**_

**Víralairë, aka Lady ElfDragon :)**


	21. Answers… I'M A WHAT?

**o.O I DO NOT LIKE CYCLONES! THEY ARE REALLY, REALLY SCARY! 'Specially since Innisfail is now completely wrecked and there are kazillions of people without anything…-sob-**

**Lots of hugs for: erowyne (thanks for the hug!), shadow929, got-lotr, Socks Are Yummy, R.K. Binx, CelticRoseOfTheLake, DAG (lol. Whoever you are, THANKS FOR THE REVIEW:) ), ArwenEvenstar83, Lintered, Amareth's Shadow, Da Evil BEAN, Elo, Laer4572, -incessant embers-, Sorceress of the Cat, Fire wolfess, Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, b2 (no, you can't have Víra's eyes, then she wouldn't be able to see! lol) & sugar-high pixie. I LOVE YOU GUYS! You all getmany thank yous and a surprise-in-a-box each:)**

**OK people, here's your chapter!**

**Disclaimer: -sigh- _As much as I would love to have had a part in the creation of Tolkien's work, I don't. And so I'm not taking credit from anything that isn't mine. The things I do take credit for are Víra, and other stuff that I created with my brilliant (and I must admit, crazy) mind._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 21: YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!

-----

Still smiling after Celeborn's comment, I followed Galadriel down a stairway until we reached the base of the tree. I blinked a few times to let my eyes adjust then walked after the she-Elf who was threatening to disappear into the deepening shadows. Quite a way off to my right I saw my companions being shown their sleeping place at the foundation of another giant tree and waved. They all waved back at me and I smiled before turning after Galadriel and disappearing myself into the shadows.

The Lady of Light led me to a large garden which held in its centre a dome with seats beneath it. I walked up to it and took my seat when she gestured towards one.

"Um, you're not mad at me, are you?" I asked before she could say anything.

"Why would I have cause to be?" Galadriel asked.

"Because of what I did before," I told her. "You know, when you were trying to see into my heart and stuff."

Galadriel laughed. "Child, I was merely surprised at your reaction to my 'intrusion', that is all."

"Oh, okay."

I fidgeted for a moment and listened to the silence around us – which let me tell you, was hard, because you can't listen to an absence of sound.

"Late is the hour, so I will not be too deep with my answers," the she-Elf said, more to herself than me. "What do you wish to know?"

"Everything! _Anything_…all of it!" I blurted, which just caused her to laugh again.

"Ask me a question and I will answer," she said. Basing my judgment on what I'd heard her say before and deciding to be quick I asked the first thing that came to mind.

"What's wrong with my eyes?"

"Nothing," the Lady of Light said simply.

"Then why do they change colour all the time?" I wanted to know.

"As your abilities increase and strengthen the shade of your eyes will change," she explained. "They have become golden tonight, perhaps from your struggle with myself. The stronger you become, the more effect your words will have."

Wow. I have cool eyes if they could do all that.

"I could get that powerful?" I asked. She nodded. "What a fantastic beacon for the evil guys."

"The Dark Lord Sauron and the Wizard Saruman will long for your power, child, but that does not mean they will get it," Galadriel reassured me.

I've really got to stop thinking out loud.

"Okay, I get that bit, but how come there's that…_thing_ around the One Ring that changes to suit my eyes?" I asked.

Galadriel looked at me in confusion and I realized she had no idea what I was talking about.

Well, that was helpful. Not.

"Never mind," I said quickly. "What about my – ?"

"Lady Galadriel?" a voice interrupted us. I shut my mouth with a snap and turned to face Haldir with a scowl. The Elf looked a little taken aback at my expression, but bowed to us both before turning to Galadriel.

"Lord Celeborn wishes to see you, my Lady," he told her. I expected her to tell him to come back later but she didn't. Instead, she stood and began walking away.

_We will talk at a later time, Víralairë,_ she told me. I glared at her angrily for a moment before blinking in surprise.

Where had that feeling of hate come from? It wasn't as if I was anyone special that should have the privilege of constant attention from the Lady of Light.

Strange.

I was thinking on that point when I realized Haldir was still standing there, looking at me expectantly.

"Do you wish to be shown your rooms, Elda-hína?" he asked.

"Oh! You're finally talking to me!" I said. "Sure, whatever."

I walked over to him and he offered me his arm. I raised my eyebrows at him before resting my hand on his arm and beginning to walk away from the dome.

-----

"Hey you guys!" I said brightly after the Elf led me back to my companions at the base of their tree. They all just looked at me sadly. I stopped in my tracks.

_That's right,_ I thought. _They're all going to be mourning Gandalf for ages until he shows up again._

I quickly thanked Haldir, who vanished into the trees as I sat down beside my pack. In the time it had taken Galadriel to talk to me, everyone had set up their bedrolls and Legolas had even managed to get changed. I unrolled my own bedding, and then asked them if there was a place I could change. Aragorn pointed to another room beneath the roots of the tree and I thanked him before grabbing my spare set of clothes and going inside.

The room turned out to be a shared bathroom with lots of cupboards and a washing tub, so I was able to make myself clean before changing into fresh clothes. Curious as to what was in the cupboards I opened one of them and peered inside. Within was a set of small clothes that looked like they'd fit a Hobbit. In the next one there was a man's casual attire.

"I wonder…" I murmured softly, and pulled open the end cabinet. Inside were tons of dresses and shirts and pantsthat looked like they would fit me perfectly. I smiled, shaking my head in amazement.

Jeez, these Elves were an organized race of people.

Choosing one of the nightdresses I got dressed again and walked out. The cool air made my skin prickle as I stuffed my clothes back into my pack and shoved it at the bottom of my bedroll.

Gimli had fallen asleep and was snoring every now and then.

"I have not seen you wear such things since the Council," Legolas noted, looking at my dress.

"Congratulations for your observation, Elfy. Do you know how hard it would be to travel in a dress?" I looked at him. "No, I suppose not. You are male after all – seeing you in a dress would be funny, though."

Aragorn shook his head. "You change your subject too swiftly for others to understand, Víra."

"Of course I do," I grinned. "It's fun to make you all confused."

Then the Elves started to sing for Gandalf. And like at Rivendell, the Elves' singing made me sleepy. I lay down on my bed.

"A lament for Gandalf," Legolas spoke softly. The mood of the Fellowship had changed in an instant, but I was too tired to care.

"What do they say about him?" Merry asked.

I didn't hear Legolas's answer. I was already asleep.

-----

In the morning I woke to find the others' beds empty and the sun shining through the canopy and into my face. Dressing in a shift and loose pants I decided to quickly eat, and then find Galadriel for some intense questioning.

I wandered back towards the dome-thing in the garden from yesterday and found to my surprise that the Lady of Light herself was waiting for me there.

"Morning!" I said to her. She looked up and smiled at my approach.

"I have been thinking over what happened the evening you arrived and I have decided to test you once more," she told me.

I stepped back, wrapping my arms around my body protectively.

"No," I said firmly. "Not if it's going to hurt again."

"Do not fear, child – I have thought of another way. Hold out your hand," she ordered. I did so. "Do you remember how to make your light?"

"Of course," I snorted. My orb appeared in my hand. Galadriel glanced at it with a frown before reaching out to let her hand hover above it. I saw the she-Elf's staring eyes widen before my orb exploded with its dark lightning. The black light spread out around us.

My own eyes widened as I watched the lightning with fascination. It flickered and danced like a wild thing until I was sure that my light would be permanently blackened. Galadriel drew her hand back and the lightning faded, crackling around my orb every few seconds or so.

"Um…what did you do to it?" I asked, checking over it carefully.

"I drew out the core of its power," she said softly. "Instead of seeking my answers within your heart I looked within your power."

"So, the heart of my power is darkness?" I asked in horror. "Evil?"

Galadriel just looked at me.

"I am not certain, anymore. Once I was sure what you were meant to be, but now… Now that time is on our side I will tell you your answers," she said firmly.

"Okay," I said, still worried.

I did _not_ have a good feeling about this.

"In the years after the Second Age," Galadriel began sadly, "the Queen of Mirkwood befriended a wandering she-Elf from this realm of Lothlórien. The wanderer was named Vilya and with the aid and friendship of the Queen she had settled within Mirkwood with the beginnings of a family and was soon expecting a child."

I sat back in my seat, wondering where this was heading.

"One night there was an unforseen attack on the place where Vilya and her mate were living. The struggle was brief, but when it ended, Vilya's husband was dead and the she-Elf could not be found. It was thought that the raid had been committed by a band of Orcs or the like, and Vilya taken by them for their own uses. Her expected death and that of her unborn child were heard with great sorrow by the Queen, who made a promise in the memory of her friend."

I could see now why Galadriel wassounding so depressed. She took a deep breath, looking away before continuing.

"The years passed, and rumour came to Lothlórien of a devastating force that seemed to spread itself from Mordor, randomly destroying anyone or anything in its path. Survivors could only summon the image of a small, unclothed child with eyes of darkness and the power for destruction…" she trailed off, remembering something.

"And what else?" I prompted. Galadriel smiled sadly.

"This child also had the appearance of my kind," she said slowly. I took in a sharp breath.

"You mean the kid was an Elf?" I asked. When she nodded I added, "But an Elf wrecking stuff doesn't sound right."

"Will you allow me to go on?" Galadriel asked.

"Yes."

"Those with possession of the Three – the Elven Rings – had to halt this dark child before she devastated the whole of Middle-Earth – "

I cut her off. "So this evil kid was a girl?"

"She was," Galadriel continued. "Elrond, Gandalf and I combined our power to capture her, and together we were able to rid Middle-Earth from her menace."

"How?" I asked.

"We forged a link between this world and another and sent her there to be reborn as a human child, hoping that that would seal away her power. It was after this that I foresaw a Prophecy in my Mirror, the telling of the child's destiny. Over time the message changed, influenced by the child's actions in her new world."

"But did what you three do get rid of her power?"

"We simply did not. It was only contained it within her body, waiting dormant for the hour it could return," Galadriel answered.

"And what's this got to do with the death of the she-Elf, Vilya?" I questioned, and then gasped. "Unless…!"

"You are quite right, child," she told me, nodding. "Vilya did not die at first. She and her unborn child were taken deep into Mordor, where The Dark Lord Sauron was regaining strength after his defeat. He infused the babe with his evil, killing the mother, but allowing her child to live. And so he created a dangerous tool, a child who was half-Elf and half-Darkness with the power he needed to dominate Middle-Earth."

I was shocked at where this story had headed. It was scaring me a lot, thinking of all the deaths and evil stuff that had happened.

And it a _child_ who had done it. An innocent little kid.

Okay, maybe not _innocent_ as such, but still. A _kid._

"However, when she was reborn she was only a third of those two things, as a third of her being was also the human part that held back the Dark," the Lady continued, then stopped again.

"That makes sense, I suppose," I said, trying to get her to keep talking.

"You are sure that you would like to hear the remainder of this tale?" Galadriel asked suddenly.

"Well, sure," I said, shrugging. "I don't really know why you're telling me it, but I know that it must lead to at least one of my answers."

She smiled sadly. "Do you remember the verse that I asked Lord Elrond to give you?"

Um, yeah. I'd only been puzzling over it since forever.

"_From the dark and light will come gray, powerful but tainted it will be. Unknowing but caring, unthinking but with knowledge,_" I recited from memory.

"Is that what he told you?" Galadriel asked.

"Yes."

"Well, he did not repeat it to you correctly. The verse is as such:

_From the Dark and Light will come Grey,_

_Powerful but tainted it will be._

_In confusion it will care,_

_And know things unseen._

"Also," she continued when I opened my mouth to speak. "There are two other verses. They are:

_Created by Light and owned by Dark,_

_The Grey shall be the divider._

_Love of one Light will hold it,_

_Corrupt though it seems._

_It will unite with another's love,_

_And save one who is lost._

_Create with the gift of death,_

_And destroy with the curse of life._"

"So… that Prophecy is about an evil kid from history?" I asked her.

"Yes," Galadriel confirmed. "I believe that the Grey foretold was the child that we sent away from this world to be reborn."

I eyed her carefully. "And that's all to the story? There's nothing else?"

"There is one other thing to tell," Galadriel sighed. "The child would someday return here to walk her destined path."

"So what's this got to do with me?" I asked, although I did have a small, unnerving suspicion.

I just hoped I was wrong.

My hopes plummeted down to the bottom of the ravine of Moria when I saw Galadriel's face.

"Víralairë. Child. I am sure you must have realized it by now. Vilya's daughter, the Dark child that slaughtered so many…"

She trailed off, and looked at me sadly.

"She was you."

**MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'm so evil…-looks behind her and sees angry readers readying sharp and pointy things to throw- um…SOMEBODY HELP ME! –runs away screaming with an angry mob chasing after her–**

**Ahem.**

**HA! I BET YOU DIDN'T SEE _THAT_ ANSWER COMING :) Sorry about the cliffhanger, my dear readers. I assure you that the next chapter will make up for it…hopefully…**

**OK, my lovelies, as soon as the site gets fixed I will be posting this and the first chapter of my InuYasha fic. It will be called: _To Imbue A Soul_ so please go and check it out, then REVIEW and tell me what you think! –makes big puppy eyes– PLEASE?**

**And please review this chappie:) And tell me what you think of Víra now that you know a bit more about whoever or whatever she is! Any questions will be answered with pleasure and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! This time, reviewers will get the chance to get a SHINY:) Tell me what your shiny thing is in your review! Enjoy!**

_**Namárië!**_

**ElfD :)**


	22. The Moréhína

**Wow! Over 300 reviews, people! And Edae gets a special thanks as the 300th reviewer:) YAY!**

**Shinys and hugs go to: Elo, -incessant embers-, shadow929, Lintered, got-lotr, Edae, Da Evil BEAN, erowyne (ooooh! A shiny stone!), Fire wolfess, sugar-high pixie, Eruaphadriel Orc Slayer, Laer4572, Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, ArwenEvenstar83, Sorceress of the Cat (I have put something after your name. Now you cannot get mad. lol), Orchid's Rain (ooooh! A newbie:) I love you and you get an extra-special hug. Bean gets one too, for 'recruiting' you! And she is basically nice to Legolas from now on…thank you for your review!), White Blossom Of Gondor, Amareth's Shadow, Eru, childoftheking, R.K. Binx, Socks Are Yummy (lol. If you can't decide if you hate it or love I just say you love it coz it makes me feel better! Lol), Nasuada Moon, me & scarlet-fairy (yep, most likely a legomance). :) Thanks soooooooooooooooo much:)**

**Oh, and you were all SUPPOSED to realize that Víra was the dark child so quit complaining that I wasn't subtle enough:) Actually, I don't think that there was any way I could've told that story without making what she is quite obvious… AND SHE IS NOT DUMB! SO STOP OFFENDING ME!**

**OK! More answers here we come!**

**Disclaimer: _Ok, since the plotline of Víra being a dark-Elf-human girl is created by me I finally have something I can claim:) But I'm still not going to make any profit from it… -sob- Everything else either belongs to someone or was a random thought from the back of my mind that I suppose does belong to me… Now I'm confused…_**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 22: more answers…and that promise…

-----

I stood there, stunned.

And decided to sit down or I'd end up falling down due to an immense case of shock.

Oh, sure. Before Galadriel said the kid was a girl I had got the feeling that I knew what it was heading towards. That last question I'd asked had been extremely hopeful, but the she-Elf had vanquished all the hope that I'd had.

Not that that was much.

I _did_ say that I'd wished I was wrong, right?

"So," I said, taking a deep breath. "How could everyone have put up with me, knowing that my core was evil?"

"Only the Three know, as their power was the darkness's seal. And a few others, as well," Galadriel said quietly.

That explains that then. And also why Gandalf was looking at me strangely back in Moria, because he had one of the Elven Rings. I suppose that one of the other knowledgeable beings was Sauron, as he would've been very mad at his creation's disappearance.

I let out a long breath, wondered if knowing the truth would change any of the fellowship's opinions about me. It was strange that the only things I could think of after I got my answers were my friends.

"You should have the same faith in yourself that they have in you, child," the she-Elf told me.

"I'll try."

There was silence for a few moments while I thought through some more questions.

"Galadriel?" I asked. "What about my memory? I can't think of anything much before you talked to me in that darkness and gave me my options. Can you –?"

"You wish me to bring back your memories?" she asked. "Very well."

Before I couldsay anything she stood and raised her hand to my forehead, speaking something under her breath. A cold feeling rushed into my mind and thousands of images kept piling themselves on top of one another inside my head. I blinked rapidly as she stepped back, her work done.

_Right,_ I thought. _Now for an explanation on how I got here –_ I cried out in pain as my old memories threw themselves at my mind. I pressed my fingers to my temples in an attempt to stop some of the hurting before I lost conscious thought, the memory flooding my mind…

.oOo.

"_Pointy-Ears, could you move? Your hair doesn't taste all that great."_

_I laughed and stepped forward and away. The edge was so close the tips of my shoes went over it. A hand grabbed my arm._

"_Don't fall," Jack said._

"_I won't."_

_Just then, a rustling sound came from behind me. I spun around and was caught off-balance by the wind._ Crap, _I thought desperately._ I'm gonna fall… _At the last moment Jack grabbed my hand and steadied me._

"_What was that about not falling?" he said with a grin._

"_Shut up. I –" Suddenly a small figure leapt out at me from the part of the forest where I'd heard the noise. I stepped back with surprise; my foot connected with nothing and I fell._

_I had one moment to register the horrified face of my little brother peering over the edge before I struck the boulders below and lost consciousness._

.oOo.

I sat up slowly and looked at Galadriel's intent gaze.

_My brother,_ was all I could register. _Harry._

"I fell," I said finally, still in a daze. "I fell onto the rocks below the lookout. And my brother made me fall."

_He is the reason why I am here._

"From what I gathered from your thoughts, Harry did it only by accident – "

"Why?" I asked, interrupting her.

"Why did he? I expect that he – "Galadriel began.

"Not that. Why did you get rid of these thoughts? Ones of my family, and my friends?" I explained.

"Do you believe that you would have been as effective as you have been with the knowledge that you were separated from your family?" she asked me.

I remained silent.

_Harry separated us._

"I erased these memories from your mind to help you. You must realize this."

_It is the fault of my brother that I had no memory of him. His fault that I am no longer who I thought I was._

_Why did he do it? Why was he allowed make me suffer such confusion?_

"I – I'm sorry, Galadriel," I said quickly. "I think I'd like a break…"

And I ran, taking my newly found old memories with me and trying to block the voice inside my head that made my brother the one to blame.

-----

Okay, just for future reference, running blindly through Lothlórien is _not_ the smartest of ideas. For one thing,it's _huge_! It's so easy to get lost in it's not funny. And secondly, you never know where you're going or who you might run into.

This is exactly what I did. I found myself in a long clearing which I found out was used for archery practice when I nearly impaled myself in the arrowhead of none other than Legolas Greenleaf.

Luckily enough, he swung his bow to the side and I ran into him instead.

"Watch where you are going, girl!" the Princeling said sternly. "You could have…" he trailed off when I looked up at him.

"By the Valar, girl, what have you done to yourself?" he asked, changing his tone completely.

I looked down at the scratches on my arms and felt the stings on my cheeks where unforgiving branches and leaves had protested when I burst through them.

"I was running," I said simply.

"I can see that," Legolas smiled. "Do you want to heal yourself?"

I blinked at him in confusion.

Oh! He meant my power!

"Okay," I said. "What's the word for 'heal'?"

"_Elessa_," he said. I looked at my arms and repeated the word, watching as my scratches knitted themselves up before my eyes. It disturbed me to see dark lightning crackling over my skin as it healed.

Whatever Galadriel had done to it had made it go all haywire.

And I wasn't the only one to notice it either.

"So, it has finally become black?" Legolas asked.

"Yes," I acknowledged quietly. "Galadriel – what do you mean, _finally_?"

The Elf only coughed and looked away.

I scowled and then froze. Legolas must have sensed my lack of movement because he turned back towards me, looking concerned.

"It's you," I said in realization. "The 'others' that Galadriel said knew about me, one is _you_. Your mother…she's the Queen of Mirkwood, isn't she? Or she was. And she told you."

Slowly, the Princeling nodded. My face fell.

"And is that's why you hated me," I said. "Because I'm partly made of darkness."

To my surprise, the Princeling shook his head.

"Then why?" I asked. Legolas deliberately avoided my gaze. "Oh, fine. I'll wait for my answer. Can I have a go with your bow?"

Looking glad at my change of topic he held his weapon out, now unstrung, and handed me an arrow.

I looked at him blankly.

"You know, you're going to have to teach me how to do this," I told him. The Elf rolled his eyes.

"Why me?" he asked the air. But he was smiling.

Over the next hour I practiced bending his bow and slipping the string over both ends so it was tight enough to fire an arrow a long way. I got bored soon after, so Legolas quickly switched to drawing the bow and aiming the arrows.

-----

The sun was setting and Legolas was sitting on the ground, watching me try to hit one of the targets at the end of the clearing. So far, I had a grand total of basically nothing except for the one arrow that had hit the target beside the one I'd been aiming for. This had made Legolas burst out laughing followed by me, because I was so hopeless.

Although I was frustrated because of my inaccuracy, getting Legolas to teach me how to use a bow was keeping my mind off all those thoughts of being part-darkness. And seemingly, Legolas's views about me hadn't changed once he knew about me, but he _had_ known for a while longer than the others, which had given him time to get over it.

After a particularly irritating miss, I snarled like a wild animal and raised the bow to smash it against the ground. Before I could, however, the Elf leaped up and grabbed my arm.

"Do not loose your wrath upon something that does not deserve it," he said swiftly. I stared at him, calming down immediately.

What was wrong with me? First there was that feeling of hate against Galadriel and now I was loosing my temper over the smallest of things. Not to mention those weird thoughts inside my head.

_Unfairness towards me…_

_It was the fault ofmy brother…_ I shuddered.

See? Weird.

"Let me help," the Elf said, stepping up behind me. I could feel the warmth of his body against my back and wondered why the Hell it was making me feel all funny. Legolas placed his hands around mine and moved them into the right positions, handing me an arrow in the process.

"Now, you see that end target?" he asked. I nodded. "That is the one we shall aim for. Now," he nudged my feet so my body turned slightly. "The earth will pull your arrow towards the ground unless you aim higher," he pulled my arms upwards a fraction so I was aiming just above the target and not at it.

"And now I shoot?" I asked. Because he was so close I felt him nod before he said yes. I drew the string back with his hands keeping me steady and released. There was a zinging sound and a thud.

The arrow had hit.

"Yes!" I shouted, and breaking away from the Elf's grip I danced around him in circles.

"No try it again," he told me. I did exactly as he showed me and the second arrow embedded itself beside the other one. I got in a couple more shots before the sun got too low and Legolas took his bow back from me.

"I doubt you are yet good enough to see in the dark," he said to me, smiling. "Do you wish to be escorted back?"

"Um…no thanks, I'll walk around a bit before I come back," I told him, thinking of Galadriel and more answers.

"As you wish, Víra," he said before retreating into the shadows.

It was only as I was trying to head back towards the garden I had run from that morning that I realized this was the first time the Elf had called me by my name.

Strange.

-----

I found, much to my embarrassment, that finding the garden was not as hard as I had first thought. All I had to do was follow the trail of damaged foliage that I had created while running and I found my way in no time.

Once again, Galadriel was sitting in the dome looking like she hadn't moved all day.

"Sorry about before," I apologized. The she-Elf smiled at me.

"I was expecting as much," she told me. "Your discovery comes with a great burden, after all. I take it you have come for more answers?"

"Yes," I said. "About this…thing that I see around the Ring. You didn't understand before, but what is it?"

"Describe it to me," Galadriel commanded. So I did, to the best of my ability. Its colour, how it matched my eyes, the direction of the tendrils, everything.

"You say that whenever you look at Frodo you can feel what he is feeling?" she asked, finally.

I nodded.

"Then the only conclusion that I can reach is the Dark Lord Sauron has already begun to reforge the connection between yourself and him. And what you see about the Ring is your darkness's connection to the Ring's dark power as well as Sauron's own. You can sense the halfling's feelings because of your connection with the Ring."

I eyed her carefully. "You mean Sauron already knows that I'm in Middle-Earth? And I can see what I can see because both it and me are made of dark power?"

"Yes."

I sucked in a sharp breath. "But, that means that I could become under his control and – "

"You are forgetting, Víralairë, about your human third," Galadriel interrupted. "Your human self will not allow the Dark Lord to become in possession of you as his weapon any more than your companions will allow you to be. You have both your own protection and theirs… That brings in to light another fact of your power."

"And that is…?"

"The more words your spell holds, the more powerful it will be," the she-Elf explained. "And if you use objects with your words it will increase their effect as well. I have a protection spell that uses both of these. _I nerte herani váreni, nauta as súlenya,_ _tenna sercenya etelehta te._

"The nine I posses I protect," I translated quietly. "Bound by my breath, until my blood release them."

Wow. It even sounds powerful in translation!

"Hang on…posses?" I asked. "You mean I have to get something of theirs? And _nine_? You're talking about the Fellowship, aren't you?"

"Yes. It is my wish that you use this spell on the Fellowship," she said. "As long as you have something of theirs and use something of yours, it does not matter how else you conduct the spell."

I was sitting there memorizing the words when a thought struck me.

"Hair," I said.

Galadriel just looked at me in confusion. I laughed.

"Hair would be best to use, because I can weave it together and make the protection stronger," I explained. "And if I breathe on it then that'd help too, wouldn't it?"

The she-Elf smiled. "I see that the right person was chosen for this, Moré-hína."

My laughter died.

Moré-hína.

In translation: Dark-child.

I felt sick.

Sliding to the ground I closed my eyes.

"I am sorry, child," Galadriel said, her voice sounding as if it was far, far away. "It was not meant to upset you."

"That's okay," I said, also sounding like I was a long way away. "I just haven't got used to it yet."

"Do you wish to retire?" she asked me.

"Yes, but before I do, what caused me to blank out all those times?" I asked, my voice returning to normal.

"I expect that it was the Ring's connection to you as its power was being used for invisibility," the she-Elf told me. "As each time Bilbo or Frodo used it you blanked out."

"But I must've become stronger each time it happened," I noted, "because every time the length was less. I understand now."

I stood to leave.

"'Night Galadriel," I said to her, and began to walk away along the same path Haldir had led me last time.

When I reached the base of our tree I found the bathing room free again, so I changed quickly and slipped into my bedroll. Legolas – of all things – was seated on his own bedroll reading. Aragorn was sharpening his sword again and the Hobbits, Gimli and Boromir were telling each other of what they'd done that day. I tuned them out and instead mulled over the information Galadriel had given me so far.

-----

It was late when I realized that the Queen of Mirkwood, Legolas and his now faded hatred of me were all jumbled together in my mind. I had an image of an angry queen that looked like the Princeling. I supposed that I'd fallen asleep and –

I sat up swiftly. But what if those three were linked? Not the Queen of Mirkwood, exactly, but her promise? Galadriel had said that the Queen had made a promise in the memory of her friend. And maybe…

I jumped out of bedroll and looked toward Legolas's. It was dark, but I could still see the reflection of the stars in his open eyes. Even though I knew that Elves slept this way, it still gave me a shock to seehis eyes open.

"Legolas?" I whispered tentatively.

No response.

"Elfy! Legolas!" I said, this time poking him softly. His hand snapped up and caught my wrist in a tight vice-like grip.

"Ow!" I said, trying to keep quiet. "Let go! Talk about spectacular reflexes and strength."

He blinked once. "Víra?"

"Yes! Let me go!" I said, tugging on my hand. He relaxed his grip and I sat down on the ground with a thump.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up. "You cannot sleep?"

"No I can't," I said irritably. "But it's because of the story Galadriel told me, not because I had too much caffeine."

"What is caffeine?" the Elf asked.

"Never mind. What I wanted to ask was what your mother promised in the name of my former mother."

It felt strange to say that, but it was true that Vilya used to be my mum, so I'd have to get used to it.

"And," I continued, "just what caused your intense dislike of me back at Rivendell."

"You would not wish to know," Legolas said, turning away.

"Wrong! I _do_ wish to know, or I wouldn't be asking!" I corrected him, still trying to be quiet.

"You are sure?" Legolas asked, and for some reason, I heard a bit of uncertainness in his voice. I nodded, knowing he could see – or maybe _hear_ – my movements in the dark. "My mother promised, that if the child of Lady Vilya was ever found, she would promise her own son as companion and protector to them."

"That's a big ask from you," I said. "And you have been protecting me very well, even though you hated me at first…"

But the Elf was shaking his head.

"There is more," he said quietly. "Vilya's child would have been only a few hundred years my junior. If the child was female, we were to be wed."

"And that's why you hated me?" I asked. "Because you would've had to marry me?"

"No, it was because I was promised to a girl I had never met, who I would have known since her birth, who I might not even love and who ended in being turned into the Moré-hína."

Wow. What a bad deal to put your son in.

I still felt sick at being called the Dark-child though.

"Well, what you said makes sense," I said slowly. "But now you don't have to because she, I mean, _I_ was reborn in another world and –"

I stopped because the Princeling was shaking his head again.

"You do not realize," he said softly. "She _has_ been found. She is _you_. And you have been found."

She is you.

Those same words, as spoken by Galadriel. Except in past tense.

I muttered a few curses under my breath and stood up. Sliding back into my bedroll I looked up at the stars.

"If it makes you feel better," I said finally, knowing full well that Legolas was still awake. "I'm not the same as I was then. I'm no longer Vilya's child. I have a human mother and father now, and I am also darkness."

I was silent for a few moments.

"And," I added. "That means that the promise your mother made that her son would marry if Vilya's child was female no longer applies to me."

"That is just as well," Legolas said. "For it would be frowned upon if I returned home with a wife who was the Moré-hína, the Elda-hína, who was a third human and who, in other's eyes, would be no more than a babe."

"Well," I said in mock irritation. "If that's what you think, I decline the offer to be your wife."

I rolled over so my back was facing him.

"Víra?" he interrupted the lack of sound. I scowled as I felt my chest tighten when he spoke my name. Víra sounded so beautiful when an Elf said it!

I'm hopeless, I know.

"What?" I asked, trying not to make the strain of my voice heard by him.

"I am still allowed to protect you though?" he asked.

"Of course, you silly Elf," I rolled my eyes to the stars. "I wouldn't even be here if you hadn't 'protected' me as we travelled. Good night, Legolas."

"May you sleep well, Víra," he murmured.

As I drifted off into sleep I heard him mutter under his breath.

"And thank the Valar. Who would want to be with you their whole life?"

But I heard him chuckle softly to himself, and smiled.

**AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! –bonk– OW! What was that for? Oh. It's just Elo getting mad at me because I had a few perfect moments for Elfy to profess his love for her and he didn't. LOL! IT'S COZ HE DOESN'T LOVE HER YET! HA! (note the 'yet')**

**And people, if you love Harry Potter, go read Hermione: Stupid Boys! by Sorceress of The Cat. It's a kind of seventh book told from Hermione's point of view. Very good if I say so myself. And she's my friend, so she loves reviewers! So review:)**

**And I'm extremely sorry that I didn't update last week but it was the weekend before the end of term and I was rushing to get all my assignments done. Blergh. What a bother school is.**

**Oh, and go read my InuYasha fic if you like InuYasha! It's called To Imbue A Soul or you can find it though my profile. I need some feedback, my lovelies! I'm stuck on the second chapter, and I don't know what to put! So please review and tell me what you think:)**

**This time, all reviewers get a squishy of something when they review:)**

_**Namárië!**_

**Víra**


	23. The Dark Lightning

**OooooooOOOOOOoooooOOOOOOOH! HOLIDAYS! YAY:) Pity they finish on Tuesday, then it's back to school… :( Someone tell me why Australia has to have the weirdest holidays compared to the rest of the world…**

**Okay, this is for erowyne: A squishy is what I call something that you can squash or flatten or squeeze or pinch or hug. Basically something fun. For example, a squishy Elf would be one you could hug until it went out of shape and then step back and it would go back to its original shape so you could hug it again. But really, a squishy could be anything from goo and slime to a stress ball. Anyways, I give you my apologies – I do remember that you aren't English – and if there's ever anything that you'd like explaining just tell me, okay:)**

**Thanks and squishies to: Elo (First reviewer AGAIN!), Sorceress of the Cat (Wow. You do say a lot of random stuff Kat), White Blossom of Gondor (excellent idea! Thanks for reminding me! When I put it in, remind me tothank you:) ), Laer4572 (Thanks!), got-lotr (ooooh! Penguin! Can I hug him instead of letting him attack me?), Socks Are Yummy (Yay! A decision! I'm glad that you reached that conclusion, or I'd be sad. Thanks for the review!), Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi (Thanks!), shadoow929 (ooooh! Compliments! LOVE compliments:) ), Orchid's rain (I'm so glad BEAN asked you to read. I enjoy your reviews, like so many others! YAY! Ahem. Please don't mind me and have another hug! –hug– :) ), Littlemissred95 (Thank you so much for your opinion. I always thought that those fics where Elfy falls in love immediately were a bit unrealistic. Thanks for the review!), Pearlmegan (o.O you look new… WELCOME TO THE MADHOUSE:) Thanks for the review!), Fire wolfess (Thanks!), erowyne (GO ELFY!), Lintered (Yeah, I got what you meant… :) ), ArwenEvenstar83 (Thanks! Oh, and the 'others' were just mentioned in passing in something Galadriel said. Don't worry. AHAHA! Thought you'd like the last bit. :) ), Da Evil BEAN (I think your friend explained why you didn't review sooner – thanks for reviewing though!), b2 (If you do change your name, please tell me, or I'll confuse you with other people:) Oh, and I can't put you in the fic, I think you'd drive Middle-Earth nuts…I think Víra's doing a good enough crazy job for now… Thanks for your review!) & Aetherwyn (oooooo! Another newbie! Once again, WELCOME TO THE MADHOUSE:) Please don't mind me, I'm a bit weird today!). I WILL GIVE YOU ALL BIG HUGS:) –hug– YAY!**

**Disclaimer: _Turns out that I OWN THE WORLD! Not. Just Víra, and her plot and Elfy (Yeah right, I wish.). The Authoress wishes it to be made clear that the characters within this story are fictional and any relation to persons living or dead is purely coincidental… Except for Víra. She is SUPPOSED to have relation to a person living coz she's ME! Oh, and Harry and Jack and Peter and Aduial were all based on real people too so why don't we just forget the comment about the characters being completely fictional, OK?_**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 23: I am angry and I drive people nuts…

-----

"What is _wrong_ with me?" I shouted angrily.

It was the morning after my chat with Legolas and I had already managed to make Gimli fall over and also shout at Aragorn for no reason whatsoever. Not to mention nearly hitting Pippin just because he was laughing at me like everyone else at a joke Legolas had made. I was so frustrated with myself that I'd stomped off and found the clearing that Legolas had been in yesterday. No one was here today, so I sat down on the ground with a huff.

I still couldn't work out why I was so irritable. I'd slept fine, not been woken up early, and no one had annoyed me, so _why was I like this?_

As an answer, the dark lightning crackled over my hands.

Oh.

I stared at my hands in horror. The darkness appeared again, as if it knew it would annoy me.

_Damn. What did Galadriel say about Sauron reforging connections? Because I think he might've been doing just that,_ I thought, frozen with fear.

"Víra?" a voice asked from behind me, making me jump.

"You'd better call me the Moré-hína, Legolas," I quietly told the Elf. "I think I've earned it."

"I am sure," Legolas said, coming to sit beside me, "that you are just in need of rest or – "

"Look!" I hissed, thrusting my hands under his nose as the dark lines spread over them and up my arms. "Look, Legolas! I'm not even using my power and look what's happening!"

The Elf just watched my anger calmly.

"Sorry," I muttered eventually, apologising for my outburst. "It's like I can't help but feel angry at everything."

"I am sure it will pass," Legolas said firmly. "Would you like to use this?"

He handed me his bow and quiver. I grinned.

"You really know how to make my day," I murmured, standing up and patting him on the head. Ignoring his bemused expression I turned to the targets, notched an arrow and released it. I tried to ignore the darkness crackling around the shaft and smiled as it hit the target. Strange. The dark lightning's never affected anything that wasn't attached to me before.

Once again, archery was attempting to keep my mind of other things.

"Legolas?" I asked as I aimed another arrow. "Who, exactly,do I remind you of?"

There was silence as I loosed the string, broken only by the humming of the arrow as it sped through the air, carrying my dark lightning with it.

"Why would you remind me of someone?" the Princeling asked.

"While we were travelling – back in Moria I think – I'm sure you looked at me like you were seeing someone else," I explained. "Who was it?"

I loosed another arrow, which buried itself beside the other two. Wow. I was getting better at this.

"It was Lady Vilya," the Elf said finally. "You reminded me of your mother. When I was younger, it was as if I had two mothers – I loved your mother as my own."

"It must've been horrible to lose her," I said quietly, turning to him. "And then finding out you were promised to her daughter who ended up being evil. Not to mention how horrible I am now."

"You are not horrible," Legolas said, smiling, "but perhaps slightly stressed this morning."

"I was talking abut me in general."

The Elf just shook his head. I felt my anger rising again.

"Well," I said forcefully. "I thank you for coming after me after I was so nasty, but I'm off to find Galadriel."

I placed his bow carefully on the ground in front of him and walked away into the trees. The reason for the abrupt end to conversation was that I didn't want Elfy feeling the full force of my mood swings. They were bad enough for me already – I didn't want to hurt other people with them as well.

"Elda-hína?" Haldir asked, stepping out onto the path in front of me.

"What?" I snapped. The Elf blinked in surprise and stared at me.

"Would you like to be taken anywhere?" he asked finally.

"Yes. I want to see Galadriel."

Luckily, he didn't question my impoliteness and instead led me to a dome, different from the one the Lady of Light had been in previously.

She seemed to like domes. I wondered if it made you all-powerful, sitting under a dome all day.

"Galadriel!" I called, not bothering to thank Haldir just in case I slapped him while I did it.

"Víralairë," the she-Elf said to me. "It has come to my attention that you have not been yourself lately."

"How long did it take you to figure that out?" I asked irritably then covered my mouth with my hand. "Sorry."

"I accept your apology," she said, nodding. "I have been thinking, and have discovered the reason for your changes in mood."

I _was_ right! Sitting under a dome made you smarter! I should try that sometime!

"What?" I asked.

"It has always been assumed that over time you would be caught by the Dark Lord's influence, but the time has come earlier than expected."

"Stop speaking in riddles," I growled then apologized again.

"Lord Aragorn has informed me that you were touched by one of the Black Riders?" Galadriel asked.

I nodded slowly. Back before Rivendell I had been pushed out of the way by one of the nasty things. Aragorn had healed it though, and it hadn't bothered me since.

"It is my thoughts that this connection between you and the darkness of the Ringwraiths has begun to awaken your dark third," she said, looking at me sadly.

She seemed to do that a lot.

"You will have to fight the darkness, child, or you will end up as you were before your rebirth."

By that she meant crazed and evil. Great. I can't wait to become a weapon of destruction. How fun.

I sighed.

_It might be time to tell the Fellowship just what it is they're travelling with,_ I thought. _I wonder what they'll think of me after I tell them?_

-----

I was sitting on one of the rocks that were scattered around the base of our tree, looking at my hands.

"Lady Víra?" I heard Frodo ask cautiously.

I sighed. I seemed to be interrupted a lot today.

"Frodo, how would you react if I told you that I wasn't a human?" I asked him.

"I would think that you were either joking or you are actually an Elf," he replied solemnly.

"What if she told you she was neither?" Legolas asked, coming up form behind me.

"_Then_ I would conclude she was joking," Frodo told us.

I looked at the Halfling and was smothered with his confusion and his barely hidden curiosity from his connection with the Ring. He was so innocent, and he'd never believe that I could do anything evil, because I was his friend.

"You tell him," I said to Legolas.

"I think you should, Víra," the Elf replied.

"You do it."

"Víra, I – "

"Just do it!" I snarled. Frodo looked at me with surprise. I put my face in my hands. Galadriel said to fight it, but it always came so suddenly. I never had time to realize I was angry before I spat out something hurtful.

_Do I need to fight it? So much power…_

_All caused by my brother…_

I shuddered. There were those thoughts again, and I supposed that they were part of the darkness too. Only something like that could sound so full of evil and so inviting at the same time.

The rest of the Fellowship had drifted over, aware that something was wrong.

"Please," I said, taking a deep breath and watching my hands for signs of crackling darkness. Maybe the lightning was a sign that I was about to get cranky. That could help if I wanted to fight it.

"Legolas – please – just tell them."

Legolas told.

Throughout the story everyone remained silent, listening to every word. They didn't look at me once with disgust, but they didn't look at me with sympathy, either. In fact, they didn't look at me at all.

As I watched the black lightning appear, my eyes followed the tendrilsover my hands and up my arms. The distance they spread had increased since this morning. I wondered what would happen once the darkness…

'If'. Not 'once'. _If_ the darkness smothered my human third.

Jeez. I was starting to give up hope already.

-----

After his smooth Elvin voice had finished, there was silence as they all thought over what they'd been told. Then Pippin silently got up and wrapped his arms around me, soon followed by the other three Hobbits in one massive hug.

I smiled with relief and hugged them back. This was the only answer and reassurance I needed. It might sound soppy, but my hope was renewed.

"If you are to fight it then we will help you, lass," Gimli said quietly.

"How are you supposed to do that?" I asked. "You can't see what's happening to me."

"An unseen enemy is still an enemy, Víralairë," Boromir told me. When I saw his eyes cloud over I knew that he was talking about his own struggle with the Ring. It was like he was in drug withdrawal or something.

"You will never become like that Moré-hína again, Víra," Aragorn said, placing his hand on my shoulder. "We will be there to protect you."

His words reminded me of what Galadriel had said to me the day before and I smiled to myself.

They were both right – they were _all_ right. I had no need to be worried – all I had to do was fight it. How hard could that be?

_To live with the dark power flowing through my veins…that would be a beautiful thing._

Okay, stupid evil thoughts.

_I_ think it might _very_ hard to fight it. Especially if I didn't know what was happening.

Only Legolas remained silent, but I saw in his eyes the promise of his protection.

Everyone was getting all solemn and sincere, so I decided to liven things up a bit. I remembered this tactic from when my brother used to mope around all day. Oh, it was so good to be able to remember things now!

All hail Galadriel for fixing my memory!

…Even if it did hurt my head to think once in a while.

_My brother…_

Not to mention all the creepy thoughts that it seemed to have triggered.

"Oh!" I said to the Elf, remembering something. "My friends think you're hot."

As intended, the atmosphere changed abruptly.

Legolas opened and closed his mouth a few times before stuttering, "W – What?"

I just grinned at him. "It means that they like you." Turning to Frodo I added, "And my _other_ friend wants to marry you."

Frodo turned away, embarrassed.

"Which friends are these?" Pippin asked, seemingly wondering where I had had time to make friends.

"Oh, you wouldn't know them," I said offhandedly.

Well, he wouldn't – it's true. I'd just remembered my friends from Earth saying things like that when we watched the movie together.

Wow. Friends from Earth. I sound like an alien.

I looked at Aragorn, who was shaking his head in amusement. I smiled innocently.

"I guess I started changing subjects again?" I asked.

"Yes," Legolas answered, still confused about my earlier remark.

"Oh, it's so fun to confuse you people!" I said happily, ignoring the dark lightning crackling silently around my arms.

I just hoped that the promise of protection of the Fellowship would be enough to stop the darkness inside me from taking over.

The black lightning crackled over my hands again, a constant reminder of who I was.

**Well, I wasn'tcompletely happy with this chappie. I think I rushed it, and it's getting a bit dark…evil Víra is beginning to appear… And I think I might've overdosed on online manga comics… -smiles sheepishly- eheheheh…**

**Oh, special thanks to my friends for their approval of a minor mentioning this chappie. (sorry, had to do that or they'll kill me… Kat at least…)**

**And now I have to pack for a visit to my extended family, gotta go! Please review! Shiny Hobbits to all who do!**

_**Namárië!**_

**LeD.**


	24. Of Weapons and Mirrors

**AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! _–bonk–_ OW! –_Rubs head_– Stupid brother. It's not my fault that I haven't earned enough to watch the next InuYasha! –shifty eyes– …and it's not as if I'll wait for you when I get it, either! So NA!**

**Sorry bout that.**

**Okay, Shiny Hobbits go to: Lintered, Laer4527, Elo (lol. I'll be able to reply to you by Email now, now that you've got a penname!), Orchid's Rain, Da Evil BEAN, shadow929, got-lotr (YAY! MORE PENGUINS!), Socks Are Yummy, Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, ArwenEvenstar83, Nemi Jade, Legolanderin, -incessant embers-, erowyne (ok. Do you mean mistakes in your reviews? If you do, then… "appreciate" is how the word is spelt, um… "life" is like "your life" basically, what you call what you're living. And "live" is like "to live a life" meaning you are living your life, kinda… :) Oh, and if you want to get all technical, there is usually a space after each comma before the next word, and just watch how you spell "review":) And anyways, I will ALWAYS be happy to help you understand! I'm not mean, and I enjoy helping others! Thanks for you review!), R.K. Binx, Sorceress of the Cat, b2 (Okay, okay! I promise a chat. Later on, okay:P ) & Eru (lol Weird friend you are…). YAY! Hugs for all!**

**AND… I LOVE ARCHERY:) We had our first lesson of it in PE yesterday and it was sooooooooooooooooooooo fun:)**

**Disclaimer: _I own what is mine and nothing else._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 24: Of Mirrors and swords. Not together, of course – that would create a lot of breaking and centuries of bad luck!

-----

The Fellowship's faith in me had helped to combat my dark third, much to my surprise. It was as if their strength had become mine like that time back in Moria when I had to save Frodo – except this time, I hadn't used any spells.

And it wasn't giving anyone the feeling that their heart was being torn from them, thank God.

I still suffered from mood swings that became increasingly more violent as the days passed, but I'd figured that when the dark flecks of lightning appeared more frequently over my arms my temper was about to blow a fuse. Understandably, I got myself away from everyone every time it happened. I didn't really feel like hurting anyone…at least, not while I wasn't angry in any case. I'd become used to the lightning crackling over my arms, although it had begun to reach up over my shoulders and back now as well. I was worried that this meant that Sauron was succeeding in taking me over, but Galadriel assured me that this was not the case.

Still, I wasn't too sure.

It's been nearly a month since we arrived in Lothlórien. In three days we'd be leaving. Over the course of the past weeks, Legolas had taught me basically all he knew about using his bow and arrow, and he, Aragorn, Boromir and I had all practiced like Hell with our other weapons.

Surprisingly enough, I still hadn't managed to win against any of them, particularly because they all helped each other out by calling out what I was doing, which annoyed me to no end. Their best tactic so far was to surround me at the beginning of the fight and all attack me at once so I had nowhere to go.

Which was exactly what they were doing now.

_Maybe I'll beat them this time…_ I thought hopefully as the three of them closed in around me.

I swung my twin blades in a smooth arc to block Boromir's first attack then quickly slashed them out to the sides to block both Aragorn and the Elf simultaneously.

_I'll have to thank Legolas later for teaching me that,_ I thought as I turned to attack the Ranger. I'd deal with the other two later. If I attacked Aragorn quickly enough, he'd eventually leave an opening where I could – there!

Thrusting my right blade through an opening left by his sword and knocking against it I managed to create enough of a gap that I was able to step closer to him. The tip of my left blade whipped up to rest against his throat.

"Dead," I muttered. The Ranger grinned and dropped his sword. I heard someone shift their position behind me and spun to block Boromir's sword once again.

So far so good.

I spun away from the Gondorian to avoid a double slash from Legolas and ducked as his Elvin knives swung over my head. Boromir managed to swing his sword to meet my blades with a ringing clash, knocking my left one from my hand. I muttered angrily under my breath and stepped back, sliding one of my daggers from my sleeve into my hand. I was beginning to regret choosing them as weapons because they weren't much use against the huge swords Boromir and Aragorn loved to swing around.

The good thing was, since Galadriel restored my memory, I was able to remember where all my instinctive movements came from – like the rolling and kicking I had done back in Rivendell. They were from my little brother. He'd been learning Choi-kwan-do – a form of Martial Arts – since he was five, and we'd had fun on weekends with him trying to teach me the stuff he'd learnt. Over time, I'd become quite good at it.

So it was really Harry that had given me the ability to learn so fast. Being taught by a five-year-old had given me skills to learn quickly or risk his frustration at not being able to understand what he was going on about in his little-kid talk.

And this was the same brother that the darkness kept telling me was evil and the cause of me being in Middle-Earth. But come on, who could blame a kid? I knew that back on that cliff, he'd only been trying to give me a surprise, not kill me. I wondered what my family and friends were thinking about my disappearance…

Suddenly, I knew why Galadriel had kept those memories from me. I was in another world, without anyone I knew or was really related to. Knowing me, I would've made all the wrong decisions to try and find a way back home and mucked up the whole story of Middle-Earth.

_But then again,_ I thought as I flicked one of Legolas's blades almost casually out of his hands, _I probably would've never met anyone who's here. So I guess it's a sort of lose/lose situation in my case. I'll just have to deal with it._

Now facing a half-unarmed Elf and a Gondorian I turned my attention towards the latter of the pair. I began to attack Boromir furiously, causing him to give up ground in order to protect himself. I stopped my attacks and the man blinked in surprise at my abrupt halt.

Wow. I hadn't thought that that plan would work on an experienced swordsman. Just goes to show that you can fool anyone if you try hard enough.

_And now for my next trick…_ I thought, gritting my teeth. I'd only practiced this yesterday and so had no idea if it would really work or not. I threw my left dagger behind me at the advancing Legolas, who I saw – at a quick glance – immediately stepped back to avoid it. I grabbed for my discarded Elvin knife with the now free hand and spun around just in time to block Boromir's sword.

"That's not fair," I heard the Elf mutter and I smiled.

"Neither is this!" I called, disengaging from the Gondorian's attack and jumping back to knock the Elf's remaining blade away from him.

"Dead!" I said happily. This was the first time I'd actually been able to disarm him in all my practices.

Turning quickly from his approving smile and not liking the overjoyed feeling it gave me inside my chest I returned to the battle with Boromir, who hadn't been expecting my sudden change in opponents and had just got back on track.

Well, at least I was improving; I hadn't been able to do that before.

My grin widened.

With my Elvin blades back in my hands, this was going to be too easy.

I tried attacking the Gondorian as I had Aragorn, trying to find an opening in between his swings. No such luck. Being a different swordsman to the Ranger he didn't have that 'weakness' as I heard Aragorn name it once. Damn!

_Hmm…_ _I wonder if I could use reverse psychology on him,_ I thought. _It's certainly worth a try…_

Faking sudden tiredness I began to ease off my attacks and slowly give the man ground. I tried not smile as his attacks began to ease or I'd end up giving my idea away. Still acting weary I began to carefully analyse what he was doing – A downward arc, a side slash and an upwards arc, repeated over and over.

Well, a little change to his pattern couldn't hurt…

Instead of readying myself to block his next attack with both blades, I quit my act and stopped his sword with just one, keeping the other free. I brought the remaining knife up to his neck and didn't bother hiding my smile.

"Dead," I said quickly then lowered my blade. I was breathing hard from all the effort, but I'd done something I hadn't been able to before.

I'd won!

_Yes!_ I thought gleefully, sheathing my blades and collecting my dagger. _I've _finally _done it!_

"Congratulations, Víra," Aragorn said to me, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Not many could've done what you did just then."

I stared at him in astonishment.

"But you told me that I wasn't going to be good enough unless I could defeat you three!" I cried.

"No," the Ranger said softly, "I was saying that to be _able_ to defeat us you would need to improve beyond the usual level faster than would be normal. You have done that."

"Quite unexpectedly, I might add," Legolas said.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "That's not nice!"

"He was joking, Víralairë," Boromir assured me. "We have never seen a girl learn as fast as yourself, and not many men could say they have either."

"And exactly _how_ many females have you seen learn how to wield a weapon?" I muttered.

They chose to ignore this.

"So…" the Elf said to me, holding up his knives. "Again, Víra?"

"Yes, please!" I said, nodding enthusiastically.

In the end, I didn't win the second time, but overall, I managed to defeat the three of them four times out of seven.

Definitely an improvement.

Can't wail until I get another chance!

-----

_Wake…_

Galadriel's voice echoed through my mind, interrupting the lovely dream I had been having. The dream had been –

Hang on.

What _had_ I been dreaming about?

Oh well, I'd worry about that later.

Beside me, I felt Frodo stir and stared with him as the Lady of Light walked past us. Everyone else was still asleep. And I wasn't grumpy at being woken.

That's a first

_It's the Mirror, right?_ I thought to Galadriel.

_Yes, child. I wish you both to look upon the Mirror of Galadriel._

Um, okay.

Frodo followed the she-Elf as if he was in a daze and I followed him. It looked like he was curious about what she was doing, but I suppose you would be too if you woke up and saw a beautiful Elf walking past you.

Now entering the glade with the silver basin, the she-Elf picked up a silver jug-thing and filled it with water from a stream that trickled past at the edge of the glade. Turning towards us she smiled.

"Will you look into the Mirror?" she asked.

Well, _my_ answer was 'yes' but only because Galadriel had told me that was what she wanted.

"What will I see?" Frodo said, answering her question with his own.

"You will see tons of pretty flowers, what do you think?" I muttered sarcastically under my breath. Luckily, Frodo didn't hear me, and Galadriel just smiled.

"Even the wisest cannot tell," the she-Elf murmured. "For the Mirror shows many things," she began to fill the basin as she spoke, "Things that were, things that are, and some things that will be."

Stepping back from the Mirror she looked at the Hobbit. Cautiously, Frodo stepped up to the silver bowl and peered over. Moments passed, and he gasped loudly. After that he began to be drawn towards the water by the Ring. I could see its writhing black tendrils all focused toward the basin and the yellow fire around it grew brighter. I pressed my hands to my head as Sauron's dark words stabbed themselves through my mind along with the image of the Dark Lord's Eye.

I froze.

I could understand what the creep was _saying_, repeated over and over through my mind!

_Come to me… Come to me! Come…!_

The words stopped as Frodo clutched the Ring to his chest and threw himself backwards. I found myself kneeling on the ground, breathing hard.

"Lady Víra?" the Hobbit asked quietly.

"I'm fine – just listen to Galadriel," I muttered.

The she-Elf nodded and began to speak.

_What was all that about? _I thought, getting to my feet shakily. _I hope that Sauron was talking about the Ring and not me…_

I saw Frodo hold out his hand, the Ring cupped in his palm. Galadriel stepped forward.

"You offer it to me freely," she spoke softly. "I do not doubt that my heart has greatly desired this…"

Uh oh…

"In the place of a Dark Lord, _you would have a Queen! Not Dark, but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Treacherous as the sea!_"

Before our eyes her appearance had changed, just like I knew it would. Her dark, pitiless eyes gazed at us, and Frodo backed away in fright. I was caught by her eyes and drawn forward, my dark lighting flickering over my arms and tingling across my shoulders. My eyes widened as Galadriel began to draw my darkness towards her, the lightning jumping across the small gap between us.

"_Stronger than the foundations of the Earth!_" scary-Galadriel continued. "_All shall love me, and despair!_"

The tugging I felt from her momentary darkness faltered, and faded like her green-like appearance. Once again I was gasping for breath, this time in astonishment of what I had felt.

"And _I'm_ supposed to be evil?" I murmured, looking up at her.

"I pass the test!" she said with a small smile. "I will diminish and go into the West, and remain Galadriel."

_I am sorry, Móre-hína,_ she said through her mind. _It was not my wish for you to become a part of me._

_Is _that_ what you were trying to do?_ I asked, still shocked. Never_ do that again._

A glance at her face assured me that she wouldn't go all green and evil again and I sighed with relief. She began to turn away.

"I cannot do this alone," Frodo said suddenly.

"You are a Ring-bearer, Frodo," the she-Elf said, turning back towards us. "To bear a Ring of Power is to be alone. And to be the bearer of any power – Dark or Light – is to be alone."

She looked at me carefully before showing the Halfling her Ring.

"This is Nenya, the Ring of Adamant, and I am its Keeper," she told him. "This task was appointed to you. If you do not find a way, no one will."

I sat on the ground as she continued talking, hoping that what she had said before wasn't fully true. To be alone in the literal sense – no family, no friends – that would be awful. I realized that this was how Frodo must feel and watched the Hobbit as the Lady of Light dismissed him and he walked away, waving to me as he went.

"Child," Galadriel said. "Please stand."

I obeyed her.

"You wish to look upon the Mirror of Galadriel?" she asked.

"Well…" I began. "You told me you wanted me to, so…"

I stepped up to the basin of water and looked into its depths, only seeing my reflection. It seemed surprisingly deep for the amount of water Galadriel had put in there, which wasn't much.

I blinked once, slowly. And my reflection began to change.

The face in the water rippled and distorted, finally smoothing out on a vision of a face that was mine, but not really mine. Dark shadows whipped my hair back and my nightgown seemed to be made of swirling, thick, black shades. And my eyes were no longer golden but made of pitch black ebony; bottomless like Galadriel's had been a few minutes before. Around me my dark lightning crackled and in the background, Sauron's eye burned brilliantly.

_Come to me… You are MINE!_

I immediately stepped back and looked at my clothes – just a white nightgown. I looked at my hands and saw no trace of darkness.

"Thank God," I breathed, but I was still afraid.

"Once again, I know what you saw," the Lady of Light said to me. "I have seen it before. It was the image that came with the Prophecy."

I stared at her. "Y – You mean…?"

"That is who you will become if your heart fails you," the she-Elf said solemnly. "Although, it seems that it will not fail, unless you lose the aid of your companions."

I nodded slowly.

"I sure hope so," I said quietly, still shaking slightly.

For in the Mirror – around my dark image's neck – had been the One Ring.

**And we have ANOTHER dark chapter. I think my head needs checking… But I won't get my brother to do it, not after he whacked me before… :P**

**Okay, I decided to put a bit of swordplay into the chap because we hadn't seen that for a while, and also to make the whole thing longer. I think in the next chapter they'll leave, because I don't really have anything left to do here… unless you people can think of things that I haven't explained yet…**

**Please Review OK? Uh… (I'm running out of ideas) hmmm… I think that reviewers will get a… Oh! I know! A honest-to-goodness-REAL Elfy! –cough– :)**

**Bye for now!**

**Víra**


	25. Dark dreams and Elvish boats

**Hmm… I can't think of anything to say except – GO YOUSU:) She's my character from my InuYasha Fanfic. :) YAY!**

**Thanks to: DanCrazed, White Blossom of Gondor, Nemi Jade, erowyne (yay! GO ELFY:) ), got-lotr (:) yay! I'm glad that you like my story so much!), shadow929, Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, childoftheking, scatha ( :) Yes, I'm 14! Turning 15 in September though – but at your comment I guess you're really surprised I can write so well:) My friends and teachers always tell me I'm a good writer – but I never believe them:P That's just my nature shining through… thanks for your thoughts! Please review again!), Laer4572, ArwenEvenstar83, Lintered (remember my other fic:) ), Sorceress of the Cat & Da Evil BEAN for your reviews:) I love hearing from you all!**

**Generous **

**Disclaimer: _I own basically nothing besides myself, and random characters I create. All other stuff belongs to someone else – obviously._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 25: Farewell to Lothlórien

-----

I lay down in my bed still thinking about what I had seen in Galadriel's mirror. I had thought that it would've bothered me, making me unable to sleep, but it proved otherwise.

Within moments I was dreaming.

-#-

A strange feeling rushed over me – a feeling that I had only experienced once before. It was the lighted-heaviness and the cold warmth that had come over me back before the Hobbits and I had come to Bree. I stepped forward and stumbled.

The air around me was also blanketed with foggy mist.

_Child,_ Galadriel's voice murmured through the thick air. _Why do you dream of these things?_

"Am I supposed to know?" I snapped. "Sorry."

_All is forgiven, but I have given you a dream before – this one is of your own creation. You are becoming more powerful at a rapid rate and will soon have no equal._

"Great," I muttered. "And I don't even know how I did it. Just fantastic."

I started walking, expecting there to be light somewhere like in my other dream but all I could see was mist – which wasn't a great accomplishment as I think this whole dream-world was made of fog.

_You must create your own door or you will be forever lost within your mind,_ the she-Elf told me after a long silence only interrupted by my stumbling.

_Now_ she tells me.

"Okay," I said to the air. "Tell me how to make a door."

God that sounded stupid. Stupid but necessary.

_Just envision where you wish to be, _the Lady of Light said simply. _A door inscribed with the name of that place will appear. _

Because I was wondering about the last dream Galadriel had given me which had showed the destruction of the grove around Isengard, I began thinking about Saruman in his tower. Before me an arched door flickered once but faded when I approached it.

_Fuel it with your will and your power,_ Galadriel said softly.

Instinctively I held out my hands that flickered with darkness and tried to make the door appear once more. White light that crackled with my lightning spread from my hands and formed the shape of the door that had disappeared.

_Come on…_ Iurged hopefully.

The arc faded into focus. My power dimmed.

'_Saironi Mindo'_ the inscription read. Once again, 'Wizard's tower'.

"Well, that's better than nothing," I said under my breath.

_Once you go through you will be able to be woken,_ Galadriel informed me. _You will be in this dream until then. Although, inthe vision you will bedreaming yourself into reality. Everything within is very real._

"Like what?" I said warily. "So if I hurt myself in here I hurt myself in reality?"

That was just too weird.

_Yes…_ Galadriel's voice was beginning to fade. _Your actions influence everything… be careful not to harm yourself…or worse…_

I shuddered. Dying would not be a good idea right now.

Taking a deep breath I stepped towards the arch and out into a darkened room of Isengard. Looking down I noticed that I had gone transparent again like a ghost. I was about to groan when I heard footsteps coming towards me on the stairs. Not trusting anything in my present state I ducked into the shadows to hide my see-through form.

I stifled a sharp intake of breath as Saruman appeared in the doorway, flanked by a couple of his Orcs and an Uruk-hai. Leading the Uruk-hai into the centre of the room the Wizard dismissed the Orcs and began to study the form in front of him.

"Do you know how the Orcs first came into being?" Saruman asked the Uruk-hai.

It just growled, scanning the room with its yellow eyes. I shrank into the wall at my back and shuddered at the sight of its dirty, greasy look.

"They were Elves once," the Wizard continued. "Taken by the Dark Powers, tortured and mutilated. A ruined and terrible form of life. And now…perfected."

Once again I had to stop from gasping. The Uruk-hai were a bit like me in some ways. I had been taken by darkness and tortured to give me power. I was a ruined form of life.

But thank the Valar. I was just lucky I hadn't turned out as ugly as them.

"My fighting Uruk-hai," Saruman said, sounding like he was crooning to an obedient pet. "Whom do you serve?"

"Saruman!" the thing growled.

"That is just as well. You know your master," the Wizard was crooning again. Yuck. His tone made me shudder violently.

_I am so glad that it can't make out my scent,_ I thought thankfully. _It must be something to do with me being transparent – _

As if my thoughts had triggered a reaction, the Uruk-hai's head swivelled in my direction and my petrified ears heard the sound of its threatening snarl. I was frozen with fear.

"What is that you see?" Saruman said in a commanding tone. "Tell me!"

Pointing to a nearby globe of flame, the Wizard caused it to burn brighter. I blinked once in the brightness before registering Saruman stalking up to me and grabbing me by the arm, tugging me toward him.

"I have no knowledge of how you entered here, girl," he growled. "But you will soon regret entering the tower of Isengard."

In my terror I said nothing as he dragged me towards the monster he had created in the centre of the room. The thing stayed in position – the only things that moved were its yellow eyes, following my every move.

"Stand before me!" the Wizard ordered, thrusting me at the Uruk-hai. I caught myself just before I ran into it and spun to face the Wizard, the dark lightning moving violently across my transparent arms. My now angry eyes glared into hisbut he showed no reaction except a slight smirk.

"A ghost-girl… and golden eyes…how…_unusual_," he said softly. "What manner of being are you?"

"A being that you'll regret offending," I growled, feeling my darkness take me over and not even bothering to defend against it. The lightning increased in size until it radiated from me in huge waves, dancing over the forms of the Wizard and Uruk-hai.

"Grab her," Saruman nodded at the thing behind me. "She would be… useful to me."

I snarled as the beast grabbed my arms and held me in position. Hardly thinking, I called out angrily.

The darkness heard my call and the lightning responded with a burst of strength, throwing the Uruk-hai from me and slamming it into the wall.

"It seems that you must be forced to remain," the Wizard muttered, raising his staff. I was beginning to breathe heavily – using my power this way was obviously not a good way to keep my strength.

Behind me I heard the Uruk-hai beginning to regain its feet. The lightning around me was beginning to fade in the face of my rising fear.

_Oh God,_ I thought, finally capable of thinking rationally. _What have I done?_

The tip of Saruman's staff began to glow and I realized he was about to throw a spell to capture me. I gulped uneasily as the Wizard met my yellow eyes with his cold ones.

"I shall have your power!" he cried, and let loose a bright light that arced towards me.

-#-

I sat up, screaming and covered with sweat. Strong arms held me and I struggled to make them let go.

"Víra?" a smooth voice said. I cringed and looked up into the face of my captor.

"Legolas?" I said, relieved. He released me gently and I hugged him. "Thank you for waking me."

"You are welcome," the Elf said. "What was it you were dreaming of that made you scream so?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I said, shuddering. _I am _so _glad that he managed to wake me!_ I thought, my heart still pounding. _I _really_ don't want to have that happen again._

Freaky, evil Wizards.

Legolas cleared his throat and I realized I was still hugging him. I blushed and turned away, only to find the rest of the Fellowship staring at me with expressions of amusement, puzzlement and embarrassment on their faces. I scowled at them.

"What are you all looking at?" I snarled, causing them all to hastily look away. Gimli even managed to cough in embarrassment before he did so.

"Víra," Legolas said worriedly. "Look at me."

I sighed, and turned towards him.

"What?" I asked, my anger turning to wariness at his intake of breath.

"If I am not mistaken," the Elf began, "Your eyes have darkened."

"What do you mean?" I asked him. Pippin's curiosity got the better of him and the Hobbit walked over to peer at my face as well.

"They have got little black flecks in them, Lady Víra," he told me a-matter-of-factly. Then he grew worried. "Are you feeling all right?"

"I feel fine," I assured him, biting back the heated remark that had formed on my tongue at his words.

_Though I'm not sure,_ I thought, my own worry appearing on my face after the two turned away. _I bet it was the way I used my power in that weird dream that's affected my eyes._

Hopefully it'd get better soon.

God knew what I'd do if it didn't.

-----

On the edges of a river that I'd managed to miss sighting in my stay in Lothlórien, I dropped my full pack to the ground.

"_One of the Halflings carries something of great value," _remnants of my dream still echoed through my mind even now. _"Bring them to me – alive, and unspoiled. But for the girl, kill the others!"_

I froze.

Well, that was new. Saruman wanted _me_ now.

Oh, fantastic.

"Elda-hína?" a she-Elf beside me asked hesitantly. I found myself standing and scowling at nothing, so I shook the mood off and straightened my shoulders.

"Yes?"

"The Lord and Lady wish to give you gifts for your farewell," she told me and beckoned towards the forest once more.

"But… you've already given us these cloaks," I said, fingering the material around my shoulders and trying to be modest. "I'm sure that –"

_Halt your games,_ Galadriel's voice came to me sternly. _If you fear what I plan to give you then I am sorry that I cannot be trusted more fully._

_It's not _that, I told her as I began to walk where the she-Elf indicated. _It's just that…actually, I suppose I am afraid._

But why? That was a stupid thing to be.

The nine of us lined up in the mists. I noted the dagger that already hung from Aragorn's waist and smiled as Boromir's gift was also given. I was last in line and so waited anxiously forGaladriel to arrive.

"My gift for you, Legolas, is a bow of the Galadhrim," the Lady of Light handed the Elf his new possession as she spoke, "Worthy of the skill of our woodland kin."

I admired the bow from where I stood as Galadriel gave Merry and Pippin two daggers which Sam looked at hopefully after receiving his Elvish rope.

Next was Gimli who looked away at Galadriel's smile for him. I tried extremely hard not to laugh.

"And what gift would a Dwarf ask of the Elves?" Galadriel asked. The Dwarf replied with 'nothing'.

Still trying to keep a straight face I watched him praise the she-Elf. I was distracted by a random increase in the amount of lightning crackling over my arms and had to fight the urge to scream in anger for no reason. The moment passed and I looked over at Gimli only to see him smile and tuck something away in his pocket.

Or what I thought was his pocket. It could've been some fold of his clothing that counted as a pocket or something…

Did Dwarves have pockets?

Angry at myself for missing Gimli's gift-giving I watched in silence as beside methe she-Elfgave Frodo the shiny vial that I loved to see him use in what would be the future.

Even though it was a horrible situation that he was in when he did use it.

"Víralairë," the Lady of Light finally said to me, "I give you what once belonged to your blood. May it finally pass to its rightful place in the hands of its Keeper."

Taking my hand delicately in hers she dropped into it a necklace of silver that shone with tiny jewels mirroring the colours of the rainbow like stars.

I gaped at it.

_It – It's beautiful!_ I exclaimed.

_It was the gift your father gave to your mother – Vilya – to profess his love,_ the she-Elf spoke silently before I could say anything out loud. _She wore it always._

Silently, she fastened it around my neck. But I looked at her doubtfully.

_Thank you,_ I thought, putting my whole feeling of gratitude behind my words. _But…what if it breaks?_

_It will not come to harm, _she assured me. _It was forged by an Elf to last forever. Its strength will hold, just as yours will._

I hoped that she was right.

As we turned to go, a light tap on my shoulder caused me to turn back.

"This is also for you," the Lady of Light said, slipping a large wrapped package into my arms. Unwrapping it, I found a bow similar to Legolas's but smaller, and a quiver filled with arrows.

"I was told by the Elf Legolas that you have become skilled with this weapon," she informed me. "Use it well."

I smiled happily at her, hugging the new possession to me.

"Thank you again!" I exclaimed. "Now I can compete with Elfy!"

Galadriel looked amused. "'Elfy'?"

I just grinned.

"She gives us many strange names, my Lady," Legolas interrupted, walking over to us. "That is hers for me."

Wow. Didn't take him long to catch on, did it?

"I see…" the she-Elf said, still sounding amused. I caught an undertone of something else beneath her words and puzzled over what she might be meaning.

_Oh well,_ I thought after a while, giving up. _I'll know eventually, I suppose._

-----

As we continued to pack the Elvish boats with our belongings I watched Pippin peep into one of the supply bags and pull out slices of lembas bread and eat them hungrily.

Soon after, Legolas walked up to them and picked out one of the slices to show Merry and his friend.

"Lembas – Elvish way-bread," he named it to them. "One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man."

"It looks dried-out," I muttered, walking over to the three. Legolas gave me a small smile and walked back up the shore to get more stuff.

"How many did you eat?" Merry and I asked at the same time.

"Four," Pippin said almost proudly, and burped. I began to giggle then laugh as the Elf came back toward us, looking bewildered as to what we were doing.

"You'll find out in time," I told him, reaching up to pat his shoulder.

He still looked confused, making me laugh once more.

-----

In the end, I ended up in a canoe with the Elf and the Dwarf in the middle of a huge river. Gimli wasn't saying or doing anything to help and I had rediscovered my terror of boats on water. Legolas was the only one paddling and steering which resulted in us running into a few things before we got far, making me shriek.

"Calm yourself, Víra," Legolas said with a hint of annoyance. "It is impossible to steer if you keep moving about!"

"Sorry," I mumbled, fingering my necklace. "I just hate canoeing."

_Strength is found in hearts filled with truth,_ Galadriel's voice echoed in my head, making me jump again and earning a jab from Gimli who sat behind me.

_Remember the Prophecy and recall your destiny, for the two are intertwined,_ the she-Elf continued from her place in the shadows of the trees on the bank. _The one referred to in the verses can now be named as you. 'Love of one Light will hold her'… these words are spoken in truth, child, and so they have strength. Be true to your feelings…_

_My…feelings? _I asked her. I heard her bright laughter in my mind.

_You do not realize, yourself – yet,_ she noted.

Once again wondering over what she was implying I glanced back at Legolas who I found to be staring back at me. As soon as he noticed my gaze he turned away.

_Or perhaps you realize more than I give credit for,_ Galadriel added. _Namárië, Moré-hína. May the light of the Valar watch over you and keep you from harm._

"Hey Gimli!" I called over my shoulder as the she-Elf's presence faded from my mind. "What are you looking so dreamy about?"

"I have taken my worst wound at this parting, having looked my last upon that which was fairest," he told Legolas and me.

I began to smile, still fingering my necklace.

"Henceforth," the Dwarf continued. "I will call nothing fair unless it be her gift to me."

"What was it?" the Elf asked.

"I asked her for one hair from her golden head," Gimli said happily. "She gave me three."

I looked back to see Legolas smiling and began to giggle.

"I've never heard you speak so poetically, Gimli," I said to the Dwarf. "You must like her a lot to talk like that."

The Elf raised his oar threateningly, letting our momentum carry us down the river for the moment. I just began to laugh.

"Ouch! Legolas! That was wet! And pointy!" I growled as he spiked it into my shoulder over Gimli's back.

"Do not tease the Dwarf," Legolas said in mock sternness. "He has finally discovered that the beauty of the world does not lie beneath ground. Nor is it as hard as mithril or as lifeless as rock."

"Rocks are not a lack of life," the Dwarf grumbled in protest.

"Galadriel isn't either," I reminded him, earning another jab from Legolas.

"What?" I said innocently, looking back at them both. The Elf just shook his head, dipping his paddle back into the water while Gimli continued to look like his head was in the clouds.

"Gimli?" I asked finally. The Dwarf answered with a vague 'humph?'.

"Do you _really_ expect Galadriel to – _ouch!_" I rubbed the back of my head. "Watch it, Elfy."

"My apologies, Lady Víra," Legolas said formally. "But I must ask you to halt your comments. They are most unbecoming for a lady such as yourself."

I rolled my eyes at him. "I'll stop – just promise not to rock the boat again, okay?"

"Rock the boat?" the Elf replied, feigning lack of knowledge. "You mean like…_ this?_"

The canoe began to sway violently.

"Legolas!" I cried, gripping the boat's sides. The Elf didn't respond.

Looking back at him I saw his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

"Hey…" I was the only thing I uttered as I huddled down in the boat. Eyeing the other canoes I noted that all of their occupants were laughing silently atus as well.

_Fantastic,_ I thought dryly. _I'm travelling with a bunch of idiots._

But I couldn't manage to wipe my own smile from my face.

**MWAHAHA! Fun! And it's not Dark or Evil! …Part of it isn't, anyway… :)**

**Okay, I have come to the conclusion that some of you must be on holiday, because I didn't get as many reviews for the last chapter as I did for the others. So I will ask a favour. Please, if you didn't review last chapter could you review it now? Please? As well as this one? Thanks a billion if you do:)**

**Oh, and I'm sick today, so any errors are the result of the virus that is making me dizzy. :P I think I'm getting better, but I'll have to sleep and see in the morning.**

**PLEASE REVIEW FOR ME:) YOUR FAVOURITE LOTR WEAPON IF YOU DO:) YAY! I'LL HAVE A BOW AND ARROW…JUST LIKE VÍRA:) Never mind me, JUST REVIEW! PLEASE? PRETTY PLEASE? It'd make me feel a lot better than I am at the moment…**

_**Namárië!**_

**Sick LeD**


	26. Darkness in the heat of battle

–**_cough–_ I'm still sick… it sucks. Nearly a week off school and I couldn't even enjoy it…**

**Hugs and shiny weapons to: childoftheking, shadow929, got-lotr, White Blossom of Gondor, Legolanderin, Laurenmlbc, ViolinAngel, Socks Are Yummy, Laer4572, Sorceress of the Cat, Da Evil BEAN, Killshea Kavani, daiquiri, DanCrazed, BLaCK iN SHaDoW, Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, ArwenEvenstar83, Lintered, XxXRoseVixenXxX, erowyne & magewhisperer-su. :)**

**Wow, there were lots of new people reading last chapter. Mwahaha! WELCOME TO THE MADHOUSE OF MY FIC:) Thanks so much! I hope you all continue to read and review:)**

**Disclaimer: _I own LOTR _–cough–_as if_–cough–_ I also own the world. That's why I have used my ownership to put a stop to all the hardships and created the perfect way of life… As if… I wish the governments would do that…_**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 26: Gollum and Orcs and Boromir-who-is-scary-again

-----

After a few days I began to see floating logs with arms and eyes on the river. It freaked me out a bit, until I realised that what I was seeing was Gollum tracking us.

Which, I must admit, didn't exactly stop me from being freaked out.

I also began to watch Boromir constantly. Legolas questioned me about it a few times but I didn't answer. The Gondorian was really scaring me. The black tendrils of the Ring had come into contact with him and wrapped around his face and chest, reaching for his heart and mind.

Sometimes he yelled at me and the Hobbits for no reason, causing me to only look sadly at him, knowing that this was how crazed I must seem when my darkness took me.

It was horrible.

One night Boromir was arguing with Aragorn. He wanted the Ring to be taken to the White City. I interrupted and flatly denied him, backed by Aragorn who also refused, but the Gondorian took his anger out on me.

"A girl is all you are," he sneered. "What does your say count for? You are near as bad as the One Ring yourself! You and your darkness!"

I flinched at his words and glared at him. You could almost cut through the silence with a knife.

"Do not anger me, Boromir," I growled, my darkness rising. "You know I have no control."

"You are a danger to us then!" the man told me. "Your lacking hold over your power will be the end of us!"

"Shut up," I spat, and stormed off to cool my feelings before I hurt anyone. Behind me I heard Boromir sigh.

"She would die first before harming any one of us," Legolas told him.

"I know," the man said softly. "And now I also know how she feels when the frustration takes hold."

_The Fellowship is breaking._

-----

Everything was quiet as we paddled through the water. I was thinking of my near battle with Saruman in my real-dream and peering at my reflection in the water.

_Maybe Boromir is right,_ I said to myself. _Maybe I am dangerous._

Who am I kidding? I _know_ I'm dangerous.

_But Legolas was right too,_ I thought, smiling. _I would kill myself before hurting any being in the Fellowship. They're my friends, and no one hurts their friends._

At least, people that aren't possessed by darkness don't hurt their friends.

I looked over at Boromir, who – along with Aragorn – was tense and ignoring the other.

"I cannot believe those two," Legolas muttered. "They are acting like children."

"Legolas, you'd better not be referring to me when you say that," I smiled back at him.

"Víra, if they were acting as you do I would be very afraid," he teased. The Elf's face changed and he frowned at the other canoes. "I am just annoyed that they are straining the bonds of this Fellowship."

_The Fellowship is breaking._

I saw Aragorn mutter something to Frodo and look up. I followed his gaze and found myself looking at the huge statues of Argonath, huge and majestic with their hands outstretched.

"They're so _big!_" I said in wonder as we went past. "But who would build them out here where no one sees them?"

"Hush, Víra," Legolas said quietly. "Let us honour them with our silence."

And for once, I obeyed.

-----

I don't know how I managed to, but until we reached the waterfall I dozed upright, only waking when Gimli accidentally shoved me with his foot.

"What was that for?" I shouted at him, clutching my side. Without waiting for an answer I turned back towards the front of the boat and saw the waterfall.

"Oh, lovely," I noted. "A big pointy rock."

I didn't even get any weird looks from the two Men because they were being stupid. I sighed.

_So much for that then,_ I thought.

I jumped out eagerly as our boat hit the shore and in doing so, unknowingly volunteered myselfto be the carrier of the stuff.

Which was just great.

After much running and fetching on my part, Gimli and Legolas also got out of the canoe and we went to sit around the fire Sam had lit.

"We cross the lake at nightfall, hide our boats and continue on foot," Aragorn said, picking up the last of his gear from his boat. "We approach Mordor from the north."

Looking up from the handful of cooked food Sam had given me I saw Legolas gazing through the trees. While we were on the river I'd noticed he'd been looking around suddenly at both shores – I supposed he could see the patrols of Orcs that I knew were there.

"We should leave now," Legolas said suddenly, turning to Aragorn.

"You reckon?" I muttered.

"No," Aragorn answered. "Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness."

"It is not the eastern shore that worries me," the Elf replied, still looking into the forest. "A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near…I can feel it!"

"Are you sure it isn't me?" I asked warily.

"It is not you, Víra," he assured me. "This…other is more of a threat. My sense of you is different, and not harmful."

"That's good," I said, remembering to breathe again. I was really starting to get worried.

"Where's Frodo?" Merry asked suddenly.

"Frodo…?" I began then swore. "He's gone wandering!"

Aragorn's eyes alighted upon Boromir's discarded shield and belongings and the Ranger reached the same conclusion I was thinking.

"We must split up, but not go alone," he told us. "Víra –"

"I want to go with you," I said quickly.

"Very well. Gimli, you go with Legolas. The three Hobbits go together – now hurry!" he raced off in one direction with me running flat out to keep up.

"If I know that man… he will try to take the Ring from Frodo," the Ranger muttered. "We cannot let that happen."

"I guess you noticed the Ring drawing him," I said rather than asked.

"How could I not? Since Rivendell he has been obsessed with it –"

I suddenly felt dizzy and fell to the ground, hitting my head and bruising my arm.

"Víra," Aragorn doubled back to help me up. "Are you well?"

"I'm fine, it's just…" I stopped and groaned. "This is the feeling I used to get before I blanked out all those times."

"When you had that fever?" he asked me. I shook my head.

"It wasn't a fever, it was Frodo putting on the Ring…" I battered his hold away. "Let go! We've got to hurry!"

"This way," the Ranger said, starting off in a new direction. Within moments we had reached the place where Frodo lay panting on the ground.

"Frodo?" Aragorn asked.

"It has taken Boromir," the Hobbit said in answer.

"Where is the Ring?" Aragorn demanded, afraid that the Gondorian may have taken it.

"Stay away!" the Halfling called, scrambling away from the Ranger and myself.

"We're not going to take it, Frodo," I muttered. "We're not that stupid."

"Frodo, I swore to protect you!" Aragorn called to him.

"Can you protect me from yourself?"

"Good question," I told him.

"Would you destroy it?" Frodo asked both of us, showing the Ring on his palm.

"Of course!" I snorted. "I hate the damn thing! I can hear Sauron through it!"

_Aragorn… _the Ring muttered. _Aragorn… Elessar…_

It knows Aragorn's King name now? It needs to stop listening.

I watched the Ranger resist the Ring's whisperings and close the Halfling's hands over it.

"I would have gone with you to the end," he murmured. "Into the very fires of Mordor."

"I know," Frodo said to him.

"Same here, mate," I ruffled his hair, then hugged him, sniffing my tears back. "Thanks a lot – you're going to make me cry now."

"Look after the others, won't you? Especially Sam," Frodo looked sadly at us after returning my hug awkwardly. "He will not understand."

_Except Sam will be going with you,_ I thought with a smile.

"Go Frodo!" Aragorn said, stepping back and pulling me back also. He drew his sword – I looked at the Hobbit and saw his blade glowing blue.

Oh, great. Orcs.

Uruk-hai to be precise.

Someone, help!

"Run," the Ranger called to the Halfling. When he didn't move he shouted it again, "Run!"

The Hobbit obeyed.

I drew my own blades and followed the Ranger, stopping just beside him.

"Oh my God," I murmured. "That is a lot of ugly Uruk-hai."

"I'll have to agree with you there," Aragorn told me.

I saw the leader's gaze on me and gulped. It was the same one from Saruman's tower, and it knew what I looked like.

"Are you ready?" the Ranger asked from beside me.

"You bet," I answered, and stepped forward.

Ducking under the Uruk-hai's blows was not as easy as it was when we'd been fighting Orcs. Saruman had called them his 'fighting Uruk-hai' and boy, had he been right about them being able to fight. My blades were soon bright with red and I was stuck in the middle of a pack of seven of them, all coming at me at once.

"Víra!" Aragorn called. "To me!"

"Easier said than done," I growled. "_Helce! _(ice)"

Since I had advanced in my power since saying that last, the effect of my word was increased and I watched five of my opponents fall to the ground, enveloped in frozen water. Grinning, I leaped over them to reach Aragorn who was being forced up the stairs.

"_Nar-sicili _(flame-knives)," I muttered. My twin weapons burst into golden fire, making the nearest Uruk-hai back away, snarling. I twirled them through the air leaving sparks in their wake.

They looked so cool!

Once our attackers had gotten over their initial fear of my flame they started attacking us again. Aragorn jumped from the top ledge and landed on an Uruk-hai, stabbing it and killing it instantly.

I wasn't going to try that, because even if I did happen to hit an enemy to cushion my fall I was no where near big enough and they'd just throw me off and squish me.

"Oh, this is just great," I muttered and I blocked attacks from the Uruk-hai that still came up after me. "I need to do _something!_"

After freezing a few more in ice and burning a couple with my fire, I gave up. Legolas and Gimli had found us and Aragorn had ran away to fight the things following Frodo and no one was helping me. And I felt sick after all this killing.

I was going to have to jump, and I wasn't looking forward to it.

My frustration powered up my darkness again and I felt the lightning spreading from me like it had with the Wizard.

_It must be kind of reacting with all the evil Uruk-hai,_ I thought. _Maybe it'll do something weird when I jump…_

I kicked out at the Uruk-hai I was battling, pushing it onto the one behind and stepped off the edge.

And didn't fall.

Ha! My darkness comes with an anti-suicide function so I can't go jump off cliffs!

Which was just as well – I didn't really want to die…

I started to smile as the lighting reached out and slowed my descent, lowering me slowly to the ground. The good thing was I could still throws spells at our enemies because I wasn't doing anything to control my darkness.

"Nicely done," Legolas complimented me when my feet touched the ground. "Now, fight!"

"Will do," I said, and leapt into action.

We fought, and fought, and killed, and I still felt sick. Legolas had his knives out and we danced our deadly dance of blades, spinning and twisting. Gimli was using his axe, looking like a miniature scary hairy bear-thing and Aragorn had joined us again.

Now that the Elf and I had cleared enough space around us we decided to use our bows. I took time to string mine as Legolas watched my back. I stood up and he gestured for us to stand back to back. I did so. Together we shot one Uruk-hai after another as around us the Dwarf rampaged and the Ranger swung his sword.

_It's a bit better this way, _I thought as I notched an arrow and released it. _It doesn't feel as disgusting when I'm not directly attached to the weapon that's hitting them._

I paused in my firing as I heard Boromir's horn blast through the air.

"The horn of Gondor!" Legolas called out.

"Boromir!" Aragorn cried.

"He's going to die if we don't get there," I muttered. _I know Galadriel said not to change the story, but I can't just let him _die.

The horn sounded again and I started to really worry.

"Can you carry two bows?" I asked Legolas as I dropped mine and my quiver regretfully on the ground.

"I can. What are you planning?" the Elf asked.

"I'm planning to use a lot of power," I said grimly, drawing my blades and running after Aragorn.

The black lightning doubled, then tripled in its size and I was soon surrounded in crackling black air. Surrounded in this much power everything I did was enhanced and I quickly caught up to Aragorn. Glaring at his attackers I blasted them with raw dark energy and looked away when I saw its effect up their bodies.

And I didn't even feel sick.

"Come on," I told the Ranger. Even my voice was deeper and thick with darkness.

He looked at me, expressionless, but I caught the shock in his eyes.

"Come on," I said again, and pulled him after me, blasting anyone who got in the way with my lightning.

I sensed the leader's presence close by and saw him reach the hill top before us. I saw him raise his black bow and I shot out lightning that faded before it could reach.

Once again, thepanic of what I was doing was catching up with me, and the lightning was fading.

I cried out as the Uruk-hai released his arrow, and tried not to hear its impact. I swallowed and looked up.

_I can still heal him if I get there quickly enough,_ I thought.

"Sorry about this, Aragorn," I muttered to him and let go of his arm. Folding my arms across my chest I chanted, "_Boromir ana! _(to Boromir)"

A rushing sound filled my ears – I blinked once and I was standing behind Boromir and the two Hobbits.

"Lady Víra!" Pippin said, shocked.

"Never mind me," I said quickly, then looked at the man on his knees, dropping my swords. "Oh, God."

Two arrows already pierced his chest and as I watched another hit. Without thinking I stepped forward to ready a spell to heal him at the same time the Hobbits rushed forwards to fight.

Merry and Pippin were picked up easily, and I took two more steps before I was also flung over an Uruk-hai's shoulder.

I began to kick and scream, tearing at my captor's back. I finally thought things through and gripped its filthy clothes in my fists, shouting, "_Nar!_ (flame)". There was an explosion and the Uruk-hai screamed aloud. I could tell it was in pain but it kept running.

"Knock out the girl!" I heard the leader call from behind us and I froze in horror.

_Boromir…_ was the only thought I allowed my mind to register, and frowned in concentration as my hands formed a ball of light.

"_Elessa, elessa, elessa,_ (heal)" I muttered over and over, all the time expecting to be hit over the head with something hard. I tossed the healing globe from hand to hand, filling it with my power. I felt the Uruk-hai shift in its position and knew it was finally going to carry out its leader's orders very soon. Squinting past the few remaining Uruk-hai behind us I aimed my ball of healing and threw it as hard as I could.

I didn't even get to see if it had hit, because at that moment something impacted with the back of my head and I lost consciousness.

**That was… yet another cliffy! Sorry, I don't think I can help myself…**

**And… tell me if you reckon Boromir should survive or not. I don't really like to change the story too much, but you never know:)**

**Okay…um… everyone who reviews gets a spell that'll enchant the weapon they got for reviewing last time! (okay, Víra, come back from getting Víra-napped and help me organize all these spells…) PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! I'm still sick, but those reviews last time made me feel a whole lot better! PLEASE REVIEW!**

_**Namárië!**_

**Again, sick LeD**


	27. My powers are gone! No!

**Okay. Counting up the "votes" I have come to the conclusion that Boromir must die _–sob–._ But before you all kill me, I've worked out a way that our much-loved Gondorian shall be with us again… At the beginning of the fic I wrote that _To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_ was the basis for a sequel. I promise that in the sequel there is a way for Boromir to come back (for a bit anyways). So. A compromise. Tell me what you think.**

**Okie Dokie! Spells for enchanting weapons are gladly given to: Laer4572, shadow929, White Blossom of Gondor, Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, DanCrazed, Legolanderin, Da Evil BEAN, got-lotr (ooooh! CHOCOLATE:) Me loves CHOCOLATE! _–eats chocolate and looks happy– _I am now all better:) ), Arialas, Socks Are Yummy, Maid of Imladris, daiquiri, erowyne (awwww… thanks for your review! I feel all happy!), childoftheking, Lintered, Amareth's Shadow, Yuei ( I can't let him survive… but he will be in the sequel! I bet you can't guess how! Thanks for your review!) & Elocin anaid (black blood… okay, I'll have to remember that… blackbloodblackbloodblackblood… lol my mum just came in as I was saying that and she freaked out… lol… Thanks for your review!).**

**Disclaimer: _I own Víralairë because she happens to be me and I own me._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 27: Kidnapped…if that's what you call it…

-----

I woke to a severely dizzy head and fuzzy eyes. I tried to move, but couldn't. I felt sick and groaned, wishing I could clutch my stomach.

"Girl wakes," I heard a horrible voice say, making me freeze. The moments before my blanking out piled on top of one another in an attempt for me to remember them.

Now I _really_ felt sick.

I was being carried by an _Orc._

Well, an Uruk-hai to be precise.

Yuck.

"Gerrofm," I muttered, meaning "get off me". Which was stupid because it wasn't on me – thank God – _I_ was being carried by _it_.

Hmm. At least I didn't have to walk.

But why in Hell's name couldn't I move?

My clouded brain fought to think straight, but the only thing that began to sink in was terror. Pure terror as a result of what these…_things_ could and would do to me.

The rational part of my brain urged me to use my powers but I couldn't remember any words. And I knew I was too sick to use my dark lightning. I couldn't even feel it crackling over my hands.

In fact, I couldn't even feel my hands – they were tied together too tightly.

"Has she tried anything?" another gruff voice made me wince with its sound grating through my mind.

"Not move since waking," the first voice answered. "Because of drink she is numb."

_Drink? Numb?_ I thought frantically. _What did they do to me? Or give to me?_

"So. Drink work well. Master be pleased."

_Master?_ I thought. _Oh, Hell – Saruman!_

I wouldn't be able to fight him! Or anyone! And what about Merry? And Pippin? I saw them being captured – were they awake yet? I struggled to sit up on my carrier's back and managed to shift slightly.

"Still!" the Uruk-hai carrying me ordered.

"No!" I managed to call out before falling limp.

"She understand?" an Uruk-hai growled.

_Why wouldn't I understand?_ I thought wryly. Then my mouth dried up and I tensed in fear again. _Unless –_

"Girl!" my carrier grunted. "Words! You hear us?"

I was silent.

"Speak!" the other one growled, jabbing my side roughly and causing me to grunt involuntarily. Seemingly, this one was the leader.

"Yeah…" I managed to murmur in defeat.

"Give water!" I heard it growl then. "Give girl drink!"

God. They're not very literate even in their own language.

For that was what they were speaking. A variation of the Black Speech of Mordor. Which I could understand, thanks to the darkness infused into me by Sauron.

A cask was put to my lips and I gagged on the liquid that was tipped down my throat. It wasn't refreshing – or cold – and I inwardly shuddered at any thoughts as to what it might be made from.

Understandably, I spat as much out as I could and smiled grimly as I looked around me, blinking my eyes.

I felt no emotion but anger as I glared around at the band of Uruk-hai that ran around me. The throbbing in my head was partly due to the fact that we were moving. The fog in my eyes and mind had semi-cleared and I was able to move slightly. Trying to get comfortable was an impossibility – the thing holding me wore a huge pointy helmet and weird armour that probably jabbed it as much as it jabbed me.

And I still couldn't use any of my words.

Not to mention that I kept getting slapped and punched by the Uruk-hai running beside us in an attempt to get me to speak to them in their language. Which I couldn't – I didn't know how.

"Look," I finally spat out, weakly but angrily. "I can't bloody well speak Orc-ish, Wizard-ish, or Black Speech-ish. I can only understand what you're saying because I was infused with darkness by bloody Sauron and gained a stupid power with which I could kick your arse to Mordor with without breaking a sweat if that bloody Wizard hadn't given you all this "drink" or whatever to make me numb. Now – give me my weapons so I can at least maim a few of you to make me feel better before I die a horrible death from whatever Saruman has planned for me."

The Uruk-hai just slowly blinked its evil yellow eyes.

After about ten minutes – during which the only sound heard was the tramping of footsteps – the Uruk-hai looked at me again.

"Weapons?" it asked. My eyes widened in realization and I turned away so it couldn't see me smile. I shrugged my shoulders and felt the sheaths of my daggers rub against my arms.

Wow. These beasts are stupid. I still had my daggers…which would be useful if I was actually able to move.

"Must've dropped them," I muttered for the Uruk-hai's benefit. It eventually grunted in satisfaction and I wasn't bothered by it again.

But still… where were my two Hobbit friends?

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Making my mind blank wasn't hard, but filling it with light and finding the now gold speck inside was stretching my concentration a bit too far. My head was suddenly stabbed through with pain and I bit down on my lip to keep from making a sound as my concentration abruptly vanished.

I sadly looked towards the fast-moving ground below me. I'd been planning to create my light-globe to get Pippin's or Merry's attention, but it didn't look like that was going to happen any time soon.

God, if I couldn't make my orb appear I was definitely helpless. It was the easiest thing I could do, and if I couldn't…

I groaned, earning a sharp dig in my ribs for making the sound. I was nearly completely immobile, I had no accessible weapons, my powers had all but vanished… I was well and truly stuffed.

Silently, the tears began running down my face, washing away the dried blood and dirt that caked my cheeks. I hated this. I hated being knocked out for who knows how long. I hated being a prisoner. I hated not knowing if my friends were safe. I hated not knowing if my healing spell had saved Boromir. I hated myself for not using Galadriel's protection spell earlier.

_If I ever get out of this mess,_ I thought, still crying. _The first thing I'll do is work that spell. Then I'll _know_ that my friends will be safe. Once I get away from these Uruk-hai…_

But what if I didn't? I knew Saruman wanted me as a weapon as well as the One Ring. But in that dream I'd had, the Wizard hadn't said not to harm me. I realized the coincidence of the situation I was in as I remembered that this was how my Elven mother Vilya must've been captured before my darkness was created. Except now, the being captured wasn't a pure she-Elf but a dark-tainted human-Elf.

_How amusing,_ I thought dryly, even though my face was still wet with tears. _I could've definitely saved myself and the two Hobbits from this but instead I chose to _try_ and save Boromir. And I don't even know if I succeeded._

Somehow, amidst my swirling thoughts, my hopeless crying and the throbbing of my head, I drifted off to sleep.

-#-

I was surrounded in mist once again, but thanks to Galadriel I now knew that I'd have to create a doorway to go through so I could wake up. In this strange dream-world I found that I could move – which I was thankful for as I began to wander aimlessly.

_Where should I go?_ I thought, my mind wandering. _I wonder how Elfy, Aragorn and Gimli are going…_

Immediately triggered by my thoughts, an arch flickered once in front of me. Remembering my actions from the last time, I held my hands in front of me and willed the doorway into existence. It appeared before my outstretched arms and I looked it over to find the name of where I was going.

_I aranier Rohan._

The kingdom of Rohan.

Great. I could end up anywhere.

_Ah…stuff it,_ I thought, and stepped through.

I was met with a cool breeze that swept through my hair and clothing. The vast area of land in front of me was bordering on nightfall with just enough light to see clearly.

And I had no idea where I was.

_Well, I _was_ thinking of my companions,_ I thought as I began to walk towards a random boulder that was one of many dotting the area around me. _So, they should be around here somewhere…_

I reached the huge rock and climbed up its rough surface. The wind was stronger up here, so I unbound my hair before Aduial's ribbon snapped with the wind and I lost it. The air rushed past my face, throwing my hair back behind me. It had grown a lot since I'd arrived in Middle-Earth and I hadn't bothered to have it cut.

It was really, really long.

But enough about my boring hair – the reason I'd scrambled up here was so I could see more around me. I tried to shield my eyes from the blinding light of the sunset and a laugh burst out of me.

"I guess I shouldn't try to block the sun out with a see-through arm," I said out aloud. "Now, where are they…?"

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flicker of movement.

"…that figure?" a voice caught in the wind reached my ears. I spun around, nearly falling off the boulder, and smiled at the sight of three figures approaching me.

"Hey, you guys!" I called, sliding down from my perch and running towards the trio. _Something seems wrong,_ I thought, puzzled.

"Fair maiden," Aragorn called as I ran towards them. I looked at him strangely. "Why are you out alone in this far reach of Rohan?"

"If you think I'm pretty then you're weird," I informed the Ranger as I halted before him.

"Lass?" Gimli said, a bit out of breath.

"Víra?" Aragorn said unbelievingly. "We thought you were captured by the Uruk-hai!"

"I _am_ captured by the Uruk-hai," I said, earning a strange look from the Dwarf and the Ranger. "And I'm currently unable to move, or use my power…oh! I'm also asleep at the moment."

"The lass has been driven mad," I heard Gimli mutter.

"No, Gimli," Legolas said, speaking finally. "She speaks the truth. She is not wholly here –"

The Elf grabbed my arm and positioned me so my back was facing the sun. The sunset's light shone straight through me.

And I had no shadow.

Aragorn and Gimli stood there, shocked.

"I hate it when this happens," I groaned. "You all look at me and then one of you makes a comment and then I have to explain it all. Like that time when Boromir –"

I froze then suddenly sank to the ground, my legs unable to hold my weight. The shock hit me and I realized what had seemed wrong before. I'd counted only three of them, but…

Oh, God.

_Boromir…_

A wave of fresh tears began to cloud my eyes, and I let them fall.

"Lass," Gimli began, sounding choked. "Boromir didn't – he didn't…"

I waved the Dwarf into silence.

"I tried…to heal him," I sobbed. "I saw how hurt he was…and I tried…but then those beasts picked me up…and I'm having such an awful time…I can't move…and Pippin…Merry…I can't find them…"

Aragorn knelt down so his face was level with mine. He reached out, and as he took my shaking hands in his and I saw Boromir's arm braces the Ranger was wearing in his honour. I smiled, still crying.

"Look, you're wearing his gauntlet-thingys," I said wetly. "God, I sound so stupid."

"Víra," Aragorn said softly, ignoring my words and my tears. "I saw what you tried to do for Boromir. I saw your healing light spread over him, then vanish," he touched the back of my head gently and I felt a painful lump there. When he drew his hand back, dark semi-transparent blood covered his fingers. "You were knocked out at that very moment when your healing ceased. Legolas's saw what happened with his Elf-eyes."

"And thenBoromir passed away," I sad softly, then bowed my head. "It's all my fault."

"It is not!" Aragorn said firmly. "Some of the final words spoken by him were 'let the girl know she tried. Give her my thanks'," the Ranger shook me slightly when I failed to react. "Do those words not mean anything to you? Víra?"

I didn't know what to say. Boromir had though of me at his death, and I was touched.

"His words mean that I'll never get to thank him, I guess," I looked up into Aragorn's eyes and saw the pain there. He was torn up inside over the Gondorian's death, but he kept it within and focused instead on tracking the three of us taken captive by the Uruk-hai.

It must've felt really weird to kneel in front of a see-through girl because the Ranger helped me to my feet and let Legolas come forward to talk. Everyone was being so formal – I guess it was because they were talking to someone who wasn't really there and because I looked so strange.

"I have your belongings, Víra," the Elf said quietly. He held out my bow, quiver and knives but I took a step back and shook my head.

"I wouldn't be able to take them. It's hard to explain but I'm dreaming this now," I added. "One of the Uruk-hai will probably wake me up soon, and I'll disappear…"

I trailed off as I felt light-headed.

"Please rescue us," I said softly, looking into the Elf's eyes as I felt the world around me fade.

-#-

I woke when I was thrown roughly to the ground, still unable to move. Two forms thudded down beside me and the eyes of two Hobbits looked anxiously at my face.

I felt tears come to my eyes in relief.

"Lady Víra?" Pippin muttered quietly. "You are well?"

"She's not well!" Merry said, before I could open my mouth. "Can't you see the blood?"

"I don't exactly like being talked about like I'm invisible, you know," I said wryly.

"Our apologies," Merry said hastily. "But you'll be able to help us now, won't you?"

Pippin joined him as the Hobbit looked at me hopefully. I tried to shake my head but was unable to.

"The Uruk-hai gave me some sort of numbing drink," I explained instead. "It's wearing off now, but they'll give me another draught and then I won't be able to do anything – not even talk."

"Oh, that's bad," Pippin said quietly.

"But can't you break free now?" Merry asked. "You have that power! You can use it and get away!"

Again I had to disappoint him.

"No, Merry," I said sadly. "Each time I try and use my spells my head begins to hurt and I lose concentration. It won't work."

"Oh."

"Then how will we get away?" Pippin asked.

"I don't know," I said truthfully. "But I have a feeling that the others will find us eventually."

"Not Frodo," Merry said sadly. "He left."

"Did he now?" I said, feigning indifference. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

_And I'll look after him,_ I thought determinedly. _Him and Sam. In my dreams, I'll watch out for them._

-----

When I woke up again I was being carried, uncomfortably. My head was foggy once more, making it hard to think and I was completely unable to move.

The Uruk-hai had poured some vile-tasting black liquid into my mouth and forced me to swallow while the two Hobbits watched in horrid fascination.

Then I had blanked out.

And now I was beginning to hurt all over.

Great.

"What…day?" I mumbled.

"She's awake!" I heard Pippin whisper to Merry. "Lady Víra! Can you hear me?"

"Yes," I said quietly. "Days? Since caught?"

_Oh no!_ I thought with a smile. _I'm starting to sound like an Orc!_

The Uruk-hai that carried Merry caught up to the one carrying me and I saw the small Hobbit glance in my direction.

"Only three days, my lady," he said quietly. We all had to be careful not to speak loudly or the leader would come back from the front of the band and decide to decapitate us. I knew this for a fact because it'd happened to one of the Uruk-hai that'd been complaining about us before. At first I'd been thankful to the leader for getting rid of the thing that snapped at our ankles all the time, but then it'd ordered that the numbing drink be given to me and all meagre thankfulness on my part had disappeared.

My stomach grumbled.

I worked out in my head that I had probably been awake for around three hours in total, and had been knocked out and drugged for the rest of the three days.

Wow. No wonder I was hungry.

Come on, guys from Rohan! Hurry up and rescue us!

**Well, I'll finish this sad-ish chappie right there and risk being called something to do with cliffhangers again… :)**

**And I'M BETTER:) I still cough a lot, but I don't have a dizzy head and I can think straight! YAY!**

**Okay, people that review will get… one of Víra's spells to use. Oh… PLEASE REVIEW:) I'll be so happy! REVIEWREVIEWREVIEW! You'll get a spell! Tell me about it in your review! **

**Until the next time! **

**Not-sick Víra :)**


	28. Oh! Yay! They're back again!

**Sorry about the long wait. I had a ton of stuff to do, and I apologize. I was also waiting for reviews that I didn't get… is my fic doing something bad or something? Because I'll fix it if possible…**

**And much thanks to: Dan Crazed, shadow929, erowyne (oh, that's sad. Give your friend a hug from me and I'll cross my fingers that there's a cure for cancer soon:) My aunt had a type of cancer, but she got the tumour removed before it could cause too much harm. I really hope that there's a cure for all diseases, and now I wish Víra's spells were REAL! Thanks for your review!), Socks Are Yummy, Orchid's Rain, Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, Da Evil BEAN, Lintered, daiquiri, ArwenEvenstar83, White Blossom of Gondor, Sorceress of the Cat, Maid of Imladris & glorwen. I just wish that I'd got a few more…it's been a hard few weeks, and I was hoping… oh, never mind.**

**Disclaimer: Ah, yes. Another one. _InuYasha is MINE! –glares and hugs InuYasha– –People: back away slowly– :) I love it when people think I'm weird… Oh, okay. I admit it. InuYasha does not belong to me and has no relation to this fic whatsoever. LOTR also belongs to someone else and I own only Yousu (who half of you don't know, but she's a character in my other fic) and, of course, Víra._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 28: What the hell…? Oh, man…FEELINGS ARE ANNOYING!

-----

That evening, I struggled against the effects of the numbing drink. It did help that the stupid leader had forgotten to give me my latest dose and the previous one was wearing off.

I was dumped on the ground just in time to hear Merry say, "I think we might have made a mistake leaving the Shire, Pippin."

"Oh, don't be stupid!" I snapped. A kick to my side silenced me and I breathed deeply, trying not to show the pain that I felt.

Hang on… pain? I grinned. The drug must really be wearing off!

I used as much of my energy as I could to try to shift one of my arms – even that would have been a huge accomplishment. The two Hobbits watched in silence. Finally, I was able to move my legs and I hugged my knees slowly to my chest, easing out the cramps in my back that had built up over the last few days.

"She's moving," Pippin whispered. I smiled slowly.

"Lady Víra!" Merry hissed. "Do you think that you could –?"

"Quiet!" one of the Uruk-hai spat at us, throwing a sharp stone that thudded into the ground beside my head. I drew in a sharp breath as dirt was thrown up into my face andeyes.

"Víra?" Merry asked.

"Wow, Merry, I never thought I'd see the day when you didn't call me 'lady'," I murmured under my breath.

"Merry! She talked properly!" Pippin said gleefully. Another rock was thrown in our direction.

"Quiet!" his friend hissed. "Víra, we need to get away…please?"

Not questioning the sudden change in my title I rolled over the rough ground so my left shoulder was facing them. The two Halflings just looked confused.

"My dagger," I hissed. "In my sleeve. You can reach it if you try hard enough."

Both the Hobbits looked embarrassed.

_Oh, what now?_ I thought in exasperation.

"Lady Víra, we cannot… it would be…" Pippin fumbled for the right words.

"You don't want to reach into my sleeve because I'm a girl and it wouldn't be right to do that?" I suggested, rolling my eyes. My companions nodded in unison.

Oh Hell. The people of Middle-Earth are so old-fashioned.

Shrugging my shoulders I loosened the small blade from its sheath and it sliced through my shirt, sliding to the ground. Pippin's bound hands snaked forward and grasped the hilt, pulling it towards him.

"Don't use it yet!" I whispered. "Wait until we can escape without trouble, okay? Don't lose it!"

Merry was looking confused. "But why did you not tell us you had these sooner?" he asked.

"I wasn't exactly able to give them to you then, was I?"

"Oh."

Now… how to escape? If the Hobbits were right about how long we'd been captives, Éomer and his lot would be coming in to unknowingly rescue us very soon.

I hoped we didn't get mistaken for Orcs or whatever. Unlikely, but still.

The sound of the Uruk-hai's and Orc's axes thudding into wood sent shards of pain through my head. Loud groaning hummed from Fangorn Forest and my shoulders slumped.

_Oh, great,_ I thought. _It's that feeling-pain-of-the-trees Elf thing again. Just what I need at a time like this…_

I tried to ignore my growing headache and concentrate on getting us out of here.

"What's making that noise?" Pippin asked.

"It's the trees," Merry and I answered him at the same time.

"What?" Pippin asked, disbelievingly.

"Trees!" I said a bit louder, just in case he hadn't heard us the first time. Another stone flew past my ear.

"You remember the Old Forest on the borders of Buckland?" Merry began, his voice lowered. "Folk used to say there was something in the water that made the trees grow tall…and come _alive_!"

"Alive?" the second Halfling questioned again.

"Yes, Pippin. _Alive_," I muttered.

"Trees that could whisper," Merry continued. "Talk to each other…even move!"

"Great story, Merry, and in Middle-Earth it's probably true, now can we work out a plan to get out of here –?"

"What about them?" one of the Orcs with our group spoke up suddenly, its tiny red eyes squinting hungrily at us. As the two Hobbits turned to look I made myself freeze and half-close my eyes so I still looked drugged.

"They're fresh," the creature continued.

"They are not for eating!" the Uruk-hai leader shouted.

_Yeah, don't you remember what happened to the other guy who wanted to eat us? _I wanted to ask, but restrained myself. We were grabbed and dragged back behind the leader.

I smiled to myself as an Orc was shoved back from wanting to eat 'just our legs'. When would these creatures ever learn?

"Or girl?" another hissed. My eyes widened slightly. "Master wouldn't want _girl._"

Oh, great. They're back to their stupid-speaking stage.

"Our Master wants the girl," the leader growled. "She is a tool for his use."

Okay, I did not like the sound of that. Too many bad images.

"The prisoners go to Saruman – alive, _unspoiled_."

"Why alive? Do they give good sport?"

"They have something," the leader growled. "An Elvish weapon. The master wants it for the war. And the girl…she _is_ a weapon."

My heart stopped beating and my breath caught in my throat. Well, yes, I could use my darkness as a weapon, but… I could heal, too… right? And do all sorts of other things if I tried, like turning invisible…

_A weapon…_

Oh, shut up stupid voice in my head.

"They think we have the Ring!" Pippin whispered to Merry.

"Shh! As soon as they find out we don't, we're dead!" his friend hissed back.

"To true," I muttered.

"Just a mouthful," the hiss came from behind us and everyone spun to face the red-eyed Orc who had snuck up from behind. "A bit of the flank…"

In the blink of an eye, the Uruk-hai's leader stepped forward and swung his sword/flat-bit-of-metal/thing. The Orc's head bounced off the Hobbits and came to rest in front of my face. My stomach churned and I bit my tongue to stop from crying out in disgust. As soon as the attention of the Orcs and Uruk-hai had turned away from us I wriggled away from the severed head and looked at the Hobbits.

"Ready?" I asked. "You've got the dagger?"

"Yes, my lady. Pippin… let's go!" Merry said.

The three of us began to wriggle our way through the dirt and tufts of grass. Moving was painful after being still for so long, but we managed to get away from the ring of our captors.

_Yes!_ I thought. _Maybe we'll –_

I was flattened to the ground by a large weight on my back. I heard 'oof' from Merry and Pippin's gasp.

"Go on, call for help." The Orc that'd wanted to gnaw on our legs had followed us away from the others. "Squeal! No one's gonna save you now!"

"Wanna bet?" I screamed in its face. I aimed my hands at the creature and let loose my dark power. Lightning exploded from my fingers just as the first weapon from Éomer's Riders thudded into its back. When I looked again, both the Orc and the weapon had been reduced to ash.

I stared at my hands. Pippin and Merry stared at me.

"Well, I guess I've got my powers back now," I said, putting a cheerful tone into my voice.

"H-How did you…?"

"Shut up now, and keep moving," I ordered as the neighing of Rohan's horses and the pounding of hooves filled my ears. "We don't want to get knocked about by horses, or shot with arrows… or crushed," I added as a heavily-built Uruk-hai hit the dust a few feet away.

Together, we began to move again but we'd only managed a short distance before a horse galloped up to us. An Orc's body fell in front of it and it reared up, flailing its sharp hooves through the air. I glanced at where they was going to strike and gasped as I saw Pippin's form beneath, his mouth open to scream.

"Pippin!" I screamed. "Move!"

I cringed as the horse hit the dust and looked to see Pippin rolling away towards us.

"Hurry!" I cried, and we crawled with all our might.

_Wait up…_ I thought, stopping and turning to Pippin. "My dagger! If we're free we can run!"

The Halfling nodded quickly and Merry grabbed it off his friend's belt where it'd been tied. Merry found a sharp weapon at his side and we used both blades to cut the ropes that bound us. That done I snatched up my dagger and raced after the Hobbits, who dodged under a horse, which stopped me in my tracks and separated me from them.

"Go!" I called when they stopped to look back. "Into the trees! Hide!"

The horse was turned to face me and I saw that its rider was in the heat of battle. He would not recognize me for a friend, and instead slay me where I stood. Muttering under my breath I ducked under the swing of the warrior's spear and dashed away, the horse galloping after me.

"Oh this is fantastic," I panted wryly. "How can that guy mistake _me_ for an _Orc?_ I suppose I _do_ smell bad," I continued, dodging around a few random Uruk-hai and sprinting for the trees. "But, get real – do I look like some big ugly beast who can't speak correctly to you?"

_I can't believe I'm talking to myself…_ I thought, amused. "Oh, what am I thinking? Why am I running? I've got power… _Nurtan_ (hide me)!" I shouted. Behind me, the horse snorted in fear as I vanished from it and its rider's vision.

_Well, I guess that's over… _I thought as I made my way to the cover of the trees of Fangorn Forest. The Hobbit's were going to be fine, after they got to Treebeard, so there was really nothing to worry about.

As I looked back out into the battle I had an idea.

"First, I'll help the Rohan people out…"

That occupied me for a while, zapping any evil dudes that came close and saving anyone with my power who was in danger. But the sun was beginning to rise, and the battle was beginning to bore me. As much as I liked helping out, I didn't want to see them burning things. Nor did I want to smell the Orcs as they burned.

I crept away into the shadows of the trees to find a place to heal my cuts and scratches.

Now all I had to do…was wait.

-----

I tried to judge the passing of the time, but with nothing to do it was hard sitting in the shadows on the edge of Fangorn forest and waiting for the three of them to arrive. The Riders of Rohan had left, and I'd made myself visible again, but I was _bored._

I started stomping around in circles and accidentally kicked a tree root with my foot. There was a groan from above my head and I backed away hastily.

"I'm sorry, Tree of Fangorn," I said quickly. "I did not mean for you to be harmed."

There was an annoyed swish of leaves followed by a forgiving silence. I smiled uncertainly up at the canopy and walked out into the sunlight. I saw the burning pile of carcasses and felt sick. After a quick look around to see if Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli were in sight I turned away, sighing in defeat and retreated into the shade.

I found a small boulder and sat on it. Now that the drink had worn off the dark lightning had sprung back into life, building up quickly and causing me to create a smouldering patch of earth every so often to discharge the power. I thought it over and came to the conclusion that this was what would happen if I ever didn't use my powers for a while. And if I _did_ let it build up for a _long_ while… I shuddered. Well, since I didn't fell like exploding I wasn't going to let that happen.

When the next round of power built up I started to get annoyed. Twenty minutes later I was stomping in and out of the trees, muttering rude things about males and how they're always late.

My building anger, along with the next discharge of darkness, caused me to race out into the open and let a huge, black, crackling ring surge out from me like a ripple over the surface of water.

_A weapon… you are a tool for my uses…_ the sudden, cold voice froze and burned my mind with each word.

_I created you…_

_You will now become a part of ME!_

I screamed as more pain hit me in giant waves; I was unaware that I had fallen to my knees, weakly clutching the ground for support.

_BECOME MY POWER!_

I screamed as each word cut through my mind. "Stop!" I shouted as loud as I could. "_Lar_ (stop)!"

_You are a weapon… to be used for my purpose…you will serve me no matter if your whole will is set against me…remember this lesson, this pain…_

My thoughts came back to earth and I stood, shaking.

…_for next time, I will have you whether you like it or not…_

I was panting hard and my whole head was confused. All traces of the dark voice faded and I was left with a feeling of emptiness, as if I'd lost something. But I knew I hadn't.

_Damn you, Sauron,_ I thought, clenching my fists. _Now is not the time I need you to try to force me over to the dark side by driving me mad with pain! And I wouldn't miss your voice blasting through my head, either._

Walking back into the shadows of the trees, I sat again on the rock. All trace of the build-up of darkness was gone, and that's what worried me. And that voice… Sauron's voice… when he spoke through my mind I wasn't aware of anything but the pain he inflicted. I was like a puppet.

_But this puppet isn't going to dance for anybody,_ I thought, determined as ever. _I won't be controlled be anybody._

An image of Legolas flashed through my mind. I frowned. Now why would the Elf pop up in my head at a random time like this?

_It doesn't matter,_ I thought shaking my head to clear it. Suddenly I was really tired. Sliding of the boulder and onto the ground, I curled up in the leaves that had scattered there and dozed off.

-----

A man's and an Elf's cry of anguish startled me from my sleep. As I sat up, roots twisted away from my sides and a curtain of leaves was swept from my body. The cool air tingled over my hands and face.

_What the…?_ I thought, confused.

I looked up at the canopy and stood. Stepping forward, I smiled and touched my hand gently to the bark of the tree I was beneath.

"Thank you," I whispered. There was an embarrassed swish of leaves. "Just be nice to my friends when they come in here, okay?"

_Strange,_ I thought and I headed towards the edge of the forest. _I was talking to a _tree_…_

"…The tracks lead away from the battle… intoFangorn Forest," I heard Aragorn say quietly.

"What madness drove them in there?" Gimli asked.

"Um…" I began, stepping out from behind a tree. "Not me, I hope."

They all looked at me in amazement.

"You should see the looks on your faces!" I said, laughing.

"Lass…" Gimli trailed off, lost for words. I looked past him to Aragorn who released the hilt of his sword which he had grabbed in panic and smiled at me.

"The Hobbits?" Gimli asked. I smiled at him and pointed into the shadows of the trees.

"They went in there ages ago before I did, but I know they're safe," I told him. The Dwarf nodded.

"You are an amazement, Víra," the Ranger noted. "Not a scratch to be seen on you."

_Well, that _could_ be because I used my healing, but whatever,_ I thought.

"Nice to see you again too, Ara –" I cut off abruptly as Legolas stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me in a hug. I froze in shock, my body warming at his touch.

This was…unexpected.

Instinctively, my head tilted against his chest and I closed my eyes. My heart was thumping so hard I was sure that the whole of Fangorn could hear it.

"I am glad you are safe, _melda_," he whispered, drawing me to him. I looked up, startled.

What was this feeling I had when I looked at him? What was happening to me?

Was it…?

No. I've never felt that way before in my life. It just _couldn't_ be!

_I will _not_ fall for Legolas! I _will not, I thought angrily. I realized I was beating my hands against his chest, the dark lightning crackling over his shirt, and forced my arms to my sides. Looking up, I opened my mouth to apologize, and stopped when he smiled at me.

Oh crap.

I was in love with Legolas.

I pulled back roughly from his embrace and clamped my hands together in front of me, looking at my feet.

"I think we'd best get going…to find the Hobbits," I muttered quietly. Gimli and Aragorn agreed immediately, too quickly for my liking. I squinted at them suspiciously as they entered the trees followed by Legolas who stopped to look back at me.

"You go ahead," I told him, feeling my cheeks redden as I remembered his touch. "I've got to do something."

The Elf nodded and vanished into the shadows. I smiled and turned into the wind that had begun to blow. I smiled at the feeling inside my chest. Was this how Arwen felt when she thought of Aragorn? Or Aragorn of Arwen? I put my hand to my back to check my blades were secure and realized with a pang that Legolas still had my weapons.

I cursed myself as I raced into Fangorn Forest, with the branches moving out of my way of their own will. Stupid feelings! They were going to get in the way of everything!

I caught up to Legolas quickly – it turned out he'd been waiting for me anyway – and demanded my weapons from him. He silently handed my bow to me and helped to fasten my sheathed blades and quiver to my back.

"Thanks," I said to him. "Oh! One last thing…"

"Yes…" Legolas said. I grinned and reached up to his head to pull out a golden strand of silky hair.

"And you want this for…?" the Elf asked, rubbing his head.

"You'll see," I said, amazed that he hadn't complained. "Let's catch up to the others first, okay?"

A few minutes of running and we'd caught up to Gimli and Aragorn, who wouldn't meet my eyes.

"What is everyone being so weird about?" I demanded.

"It is of no importance, Víra," Aragorn told me.

"Whatever you say…" I was still suspicious though. "Oh, Aragorn, I need a strand of your hair."

"My… hair?" the Ranger asked, confused.

"Yes your hair. Are you deaf or something?" I said impatiently. Shrugging, Aragorn plucked a long strand from his head and handed it to me.

"Gimli…?" I began, but the Dwarf already held his strand out in his gloved palm. I thanked him and smiled. Reaching up to my own head I plucked out a smooth brown strand and held the four up to the light.

"Okay, now stand in front of me," I ordered. Bemused, the three of them did as I said. I gave the end of each of their strands to them to hold, first ordering Gimli to remove his glove.

"Right, I need you to think of a really strong memory," I told them as I tied my own strand at the ends of theirs, joining them all together, "A memory that makes you who you are. Legolas, I'm sure you have plenty since you've lived so long…" the three of them nodded, the Elf smiling at my comment.

"Aragorn? Gimli? Legolas? You're all thinking of your memory? Good," I said, feeling like a teacher. "_I nelde herani váreni_," I breathed, beginning to weave my hair through Legolas's strand, "_nauta as súlenya_," my hair wrapped around Aragorn's strand, "_tenna sercenya etelehta te_," I said as I knotted the strand around Gimli's wire-like hair.

"Thanks, I think I can do the rest by myself now," I said to them. I tugged the strands free from their fingers and sat on a nearby tree root that hadn't been there before I'd wanted a seat.

"_I nelde herani váreni, nauta as súlenya, tenna sercenya etelehta te,_" I spoke over and over, weaving the strands of hair together linking memory with strand with power. Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli watched me work as I murmured the words, letting my breath cloud over the weaving.

_The three I possess I protect…_

I wish I'd grabbed some of Merry's and Pippin's hair while I had the chance.

_Bound by my breath…_

That's why I was breathing all over the hair, obviously. If it wasn't necessary, I wouldn't be doing it – I felt stupid.

_Until my blood release them…_

I wouldn't be releasing them just yet, but to do so, I'd have to cut myself and touch the strands to the blood, or…erm…die.

Let's hope that that never happened.

"There," I said, tying the last knot and standing up. My creation was an extremely thin brown bracelet, made of hair. Gross, but necessary.

"What will that do, lass?" Gimli asked, curious. "It is something to do with us, no doubt, but what?"

"I'll show you," I told him as I tied the bracelet around my wrist. I slipped one of my daggers from its sheath as I walked up to him and pointed it towards his nose. He took a step back, realized I wasn't going to attack him or anything and looked up at me.

"Touch your fingertip to the blade," I told him. Hesitantly, the Dwarf did so, cutting himself lightly before drawing back and looking at his finger.

"Not a mark! Well done lass, that is a powerful healing spell!" Gimli marvelled.

"It is not a spell of healing," Legolas said quietly. Before I could stop him, he stepped up to me and grabbed my hand, showing the other two my own fingertip. They watched as a cut formed then healed immediately before our eyes.

"This has been done before," Aragorn said, shaking his head. "Víra, you did this at Moria for the pony Bill. Reflecting the harm others receive back onto yourself."

"It heals," I grumbled. "Besides, if I'd done it sooner, I might've been able to save…" I stopped talking.

"Víra," Legolas said, pulling my hand towards him and making the rest of me follow until my face was inches from his. "I want you to take this spell off us. Now. What if one of us takes damage that is too great for you to bear?"

"Legolas is correct. You would go mad if something like that was to happen," Aragorn looked sternly at me. "If I'd known that this was what you were planning, I would've never have allowed it."

"Who says you had to allow anything!" I shouted. "I was only trying to keep you guys from being hurt! Can't I do that, at least! Being no use for anything really bugs me all the time – the only things I'm good at are using my knives, and using my power! But power doesn't count because it's _evil!_ The darkness that's threatening this world is the same darkness that created _me!_ Don't you understand!"

The Ranger, the Dwarf and the Elf all stared, shocked at my outburst.

"No. I don't think you would understand," I continued quietly. "I've been drugged, treated like a dirty rag, hauled, thrown, kicked, hit and knocked unconscious. Just before you came, Sauron nearly drove me mad with pain. He's trying to make me his creation again, and before that happened I had almost no control over my power from the drug's after-affects and had to blast the grass out there or I'd explode. And I wanted to protect you all if ever I did loose control. I just wanted to help…"

I trailed off because I knew I was babbling, and was disgusted to find tears running down my cheeks. Glancing up at my companion's shocked expressions I threw the bracelet I'd made at their feet and ran into the trees.

-----

I didn't run very far, but it took them a while to find me – the Fangorn trees kept hampering their progress until I found out what they were all doing and asked the trees to stop. I had no idea why the trees were being so nice to me, but I had plenty of time to find that out later. I looked up as Legolas entered the clearing I was sitting in and stood a few steps away from me.

"Víra?" he asked quietly. I shifted slightly on the tree root I was sitting on and made enough room for him to squeeze onto it beside me. My breath caught in my throat as he sat down beside me and I tried to unnoticeably edge away from him. Why did he do this to me?

"Forgive me," the Elf continued, not noticing my reaction to his presence. "Forgive us. We did not know what had happened to you and were only thinking of the harm you would receive if we ever went into battle. Think about it."

"I already have," I said, sniffing. "And I was stupid to get cranky at the three of you for only misunderstanding."

"But it was us who misunderstood," Legolas said. "We apologize; this was not meant to happen."

He held out his hand, holding the woven strands out to me. I took it and looped it through my belt.

"That bracelet only works when it's being worn anyway," I told him. "And I need to weave in the other members of our broken Fellowship before it's finished."

"As long as you are not harmed," Legolas said. We stood up to find the other two and go after the Hobbits. "And Víra?"

"Yes?" I asked the Elf as we began to walk.

"You are not useless, you make us happy," the Elf looked at me. "You smile and joke to make us laugh. Happiness is something that is needed in these troubled times."

"I'm glad someone thinks that all my efforts aren't a waste," I said dryly. The Elf smiled, and I knew that his words were true. I _did_ make people smile.

Oh, great. Three things I'm useful for now, and tons of stuff I'm not. Oh well, the list was growing.

The smile on Legolas's face morphed into a frown and my hopes started to slip.

"What's wrong?" I asked fearfully as Aragorn and Gimli approached us.

"Your eyes," The Elf said, puzzled. "I could have sworn by the Valar that they have darkened once again."

Using my dagger as a mirror I stared at my reflection.

"Fantastic," I said with no hint of emotion in my voice. "They look all muddy-yellow."

I really did not have a good feeling about this.

**Okay, so I'm not dead, although I may as well be. Sorry about the wait, but I hope I made up for it. Please review! I'm still a bit disappointed with the amount I got for last chapter, but you get that. I'll get over it. Just, please, PLEASE review:) There, I threw in a smile for good measure. A mini-character for anyone who reviews! Please!**

**Until next chappie! (which I hope won't take as long as this one)**

_**Namárie!**_

**Lady ElfDragon**


	29. And so is the Wizard!

**Hi people:)**

**Okay, as you can see I'm a lot happier than the last update, and I'm really sorry it's been so long, but I had tons of tests and assignments and they were REALLY, REALLY HARD! But… THEY'RE ALL DONE NOW:) I feel happy:)**

**Okay! Much thanks and mini-characters too: shadow929, childoftheking, Maid of Imladris (Yeah! Go Elves!), Lintered, Da Evil BEAN, Arialas, White Blossom of Gondor, Socks Are Yummy, Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, got-lotr (Yep! Powerful is the best! It's a pity no one will let her wear the bacelet though - that'd be cool), Eagle's Daughter (I said "Okay, I'm not dead, although I may as well be" because I hadn't updated in quite a long time. Heheh. Same goes for this time too – sorry!), Shur'tugal's Zar'roc, ArwenEvenstar83, Amareth's Shadow, DanCrazed, BlackRoseOrchid/Poison (yeah. I meant that her eyes are yellow flecked with black – but that's only when you see them up close. From a distance they look muddy. And I don't think Víra is anywhere near to being a super-perfect Mary-Sue. It's not in her nature to be like that…thankfully), Edae, Orchid's Rain, air element, erowyne (Cool! Madness is always welcome! It's fun! Please thank your friend for the hug and for the fact he likes my story! Thank you for your review!), glorwen, HisimeTempla (Unique? Thanks:) I hope you continue reading!), Fire wolfess, Elevanya (Yes – I agree. Pink IS scary! And Polar bears? Argh! I'll update!), Ainigma and Kerry! Thank you all sooooo much – you made me feel a lot better:) :)**

**I'm sorry that not everyone got a reply for last chapter's reviews – that'd take at least another hour and I thought you'd all enjoy this chapter far more than my ramblings!**

**And… here's your update!**

**Disclaimer: _Lord of the Rings is not mine and never will be…unless I become the ruler of the world – and we all know how unlikely THAT is. Víra is ME and MINE! So no stealing, okay?_**

_To Be A Girl In Middle Earth_

Chapter 29: THE WIZARD'S BACK!

-----

"How long have we been walking?" I grumbled.

"Mere moments, lass," Gimli replied.

"And you have already asked that a dozen times over!" Legolas added. "By the Valar, girl, are you trying to drive us mad?"

"Oh no, Elfy. If I was trying to do that I would've succeeded a _long _time ago," I said, grinning.

"Is that so?" Aragorn muttered.

"Look, Ranger," I began, "you lot were crazy to begin with, so there was no need to –"

Legolas placed a hand on my arm which made me shut up immediately. He nodded towards Gimli who fingered a dark smear on a leaf and licked it.

"Yuck!" I cried. "Gimli! That's gross! You do know that that's –"

"Orc blood," the Dwarf finished for me after spitting the black stuff out.

"Eww… I know you were finding out what it was and everything but…eww…"

"Hush Víra," the Elf muttered.

"Whatever… Eww…"

"These are strange tracks," Aragorn muttered.

"Hmm…" I murmured, bending down to peer at the circular markings in the earth. "A tree. One of the uprooted kind, often found in forests of Fangorn."

Gimli snorted his laughter.

"Víra!" Legolas hissed again. "Would you please take this seriously?"

_But I _am! I thought in frustration. "Weren't you just saying that I made people happy in these troubled times, Elfy?" I asked innocently.

"This is a case of making people _too_ happy."

"Oh."

"The air is so close in here…" the Dwarf said, interrupting.

"Much better than being in a cave," I muttered into is ear. "At least there _is_ air here."

"What are you implying?" Gimli demanded, fuming.

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all."

The Dwarf muttered something about girl-children of Men and Elves. The comment hurt, but I just stuck my tongue out at him.

A groan echoed through the forest. I watched Gimli slowly unbuckle his axe and grinned.

"This forest is old." Legolas said softly. "Very old. Full of memory… and anger."

"Oh wow, you think?" I said sarcastically. "How would you feel if a ton of Orcs decided to camp for the night at your edge and chop you down for firewood?"

"Víra…"

"I was being serious this time, Legolas Greenleaf!"

The Elf raised an eyebrow. "It is hard to tell sometimes whether you jest, Víra."

"Am I really that hard to figure out?" I asked in amazement.

"You have no idea."

"You must've figured me out a bit at least," I said, grinning. "You're beginning to talk like me!"

"Spare me."

"See? You did it again!"

"You have the attitude of a small child," Aragorn interrupted, scowling.

"Who?" I enquired. "Me or Elfy?"

"Both," the Ranger muttered. Legolas looked affronted.

"There, there, Elfy," I said, stepping up beside him and patting his shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sure you'll grow up someday. Aragorn didn't really mean it."

Legolas sighed. "Listen, Víra. I know you are trying to make the best of the situation, but –"

He fell silent as another, louder groan reached our ears. Gimli grew pale and lifted his battle axe menacingly. The moaning of the trees increased and began to sound like a groan of alarm.

I don't know how these trees managed it, but they could convey their emotions just by groaning. When I groaned people just thought I had a stomach ache.

"The trees are speaking to each other!" Legolas said to us.

"Uh, yeah," I said turning to him, ignoring the way his expression made my chest tie itself in knots. "They've been doing that for a while now."

"Gimli!" Aragorn whispered. The Dwarf looked over at the Ranger with the axe he had unclipped held guardedly in his hands.

"Lower your axe!" I hissed, joining Aragorn in his comment. Slowly the Dwarf did as we asked.

"They have feelings, my friend," the Elf told him. "The Elves began it – waking up the trees…teaching them to speak."

"So _that's_ why they're so nice to me," I muttered. "I suppose being one third Elf has its benefits."

"Talking trees!" Gimli spoke gruffly. "What do trees have to talk about? Except the consistency of squirrel droppings!"

"Well," I began, checking a list off on my fingers. "There's how old you are, what type of tree you happen to be, whether there's any animals living in your branches, whether or not you –"

"All right lass! I understand!"

"Aragorn!" I heard Legolas say in a low voice to his friend, stepping up onto a rise in the ground. "_Nad no ennas!_ (Something's out there!)"

"Oh really?" I said, sarcasm edging into my voice again as I stepped up beside him, followed by Aragorn. "Something as in trees or something as in a nasty something?"

"Silence, Víra!" Aragorn growled at me. "Legolas. _Man cenich?_ (What do you see?)"

"I bet I can guess," I muttered. Aragorn glared at me and I realized that I wasn't supposed to be talking. I glared back at him, but closed my mouth with a snap.

"The White Wizard approaches," Legolas murmured, his eyes widening. With his eyes, he indicated the direction that the supposed danger was coming from.

_And there's my cue…_ I thought, smiling happily. Looking around, I found a convenient tree root and sat down, making myself comfortable.

"Víra! Now is not the time for rest! We must be ready for Saruman!" Aragorn was close to shouting at me, though he kept his voice lowered. "We cannot let him speak! He will put a spell on us!"

Legolas notched an arrow, and Gimli and Aragorn tightened their hold on their weapons. For the sake of not risking my companions' wrath, I strung my bow and notched an arrow. Aragorn nodded at my action.

"We must be quick," he told us.

In a burst of brilliant white light, the Wizard appeared behind us. My three companions cried out – I only watched calmly as the scene of chaos unfolded before me. Gimli threw his weapon, and I ducked as his deflected throwing-axe flew past my ear, followed by Legolas's arrow a moment later. Aragorn cried out in pain and dropped his sword. I saw that the metal was bright red with magical heat. I'd bet the Ranger's hands were blistered after that attack – I'd have to heal him when this was over.

Oh wait – he had gloves on. Never mind.

Weaponless and seemingly defeated, the three of them shielded their eyes from the light emanating from the Wizard which grew brighter with each passing moment.

I tried to peer through the light to the figure in the middle of it, with no success.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young Hobbits," Saruman's voice revibrated through the air around us and my heart froze with fear upon hearing that voice again. My breath caught in my throat – I choked and began coughing violently. Legolas looked at me with concern.

"Where are they?" Aragorn demanded furiously while I was regaining my breath.

"They passed this way only yesterday. They met someone they did not expect – does that comfort you?" the figure asked.

"Not at all!" I shouted before coughing once. I was angry at the Wizard for sounding like Saruman and making me remember when I'd lost control over my black lightning in the tower.

"Who are you?" Aragorn questioned, squinting into the light. "Show yourself!"

The light dimmed at his words and faded to reveal…

…the smiling face of Gandalf. He looked at us with some amusement, his eyes eventually alighting on me. I smiled and dropped my bow, running towards the Wizard.

"Yay!" I shouted, my heart full with happiness. I threw my arms around him and smiled into his white robe. "You're back!"

"It cannot be," I heard Aragorn murmur.

"Yes it can!" I cried, turning to them. "_I_ knew he was going to come back! Galadriel did too! He's the best Wizard in the world – do you really think that he _wouldn't_ come back to help us?"

"Víra," Legolas sighed. "You are impossible."

I grinned.

Turning to Gandalf, the Elf spoke softly. "Forgive me," he said, kneeling. "I mistook you for Saruman."

"It actually wasn't all that difficult to do, Elfy," I muttered.

"I _am_ Saruman," Gandalf told the Elf. "Or rather, Saruman as he should have been."

"Yes!" I said sweetly, reaching up to pat the Wizard's shoulder. "Someone's a good little Wizard, aren't they?"

"I see you haven't changed, Víralairë," Gandalf muttered into my ear. I smiled.

"But… you fell!" Aragorn said in amazement, his expression still shining with awe.

"Through fire and water…" Gandalf's voice took on a tone of mystery. "From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak I fought the Balrog of Morgoth."

I listened to the Wizard as he spun his tale, totally captured by his words. In my mind's eye I saw the images of his battle and stared at him with awe. Every word launched a thousand pictures into my head until I was beginning to feel slightly dizzy.

"I have been sent back until my task is done," Gandalf finished with finality. I kept staring at him, secretly summoning up some of my dark energy so I could see his reaction. The Wizard glanced at me once as I sent an invisible tendril towards him.

Immediately, I struck the barrier his mind had created and slowly began to withdraw. Okay then, so at least I wasn't going to sense all _his_ emotions like I had Frodo's – which was fine by me.

"Gandalf," Aragorn murmured, jerking me back to the conversation.

"Gandalf…yes…" the Wizard muttered. "That was what they used to call me. Gandalf the Grey – that was my name."

"Alzheimer's again," I muttered, knowing no one would understand what I was talking about. Aragorn nodded to Gandalf's comment.

"Gandalf!" Gimli cried happily. I stepped away from the Wizard to stand beside Legolas – who was also smiling.

"_I_ am Gandalf the White," Gandalf corrected us.

"Ha! I knew that already!" I shouted, much to the others' amusement. "And let me guess – You come back to us at the turn of the tide."

Gimli stared at me incredulously. I grinned – the favour was returned by Gandalf.

"How did you know what he was going to say, lass?" the Dwarf asked me.

"Oh, Master Dwarf! Did you not know?" I cried then dropped my voice to a whisper. "I can see into the future – I know all that is to come! The fate of every being on this earth is known by – ow! Gandalf!"

The Wizard hit me on the head again with his new staff. "Stop your teasing."

"But Gandalf," I whined. "It's fun – ow!" I rubbed the top of my head.

"That will knock some sense into you, Víra," Legolas laughed.

"I somehow doubt that," Gandalf muttered. I glared at him.

"Hey!" I cried angrily. "Now who's being mean?"

"Oh, halt your complaints, child! Now is not the time – we must go, and swiftly!" Gandalf told me. I blinked at him then grinned.

"Can I see your staff, Mister Wizard sir?" I asked sweetly.

"No you may not!"

The trees around us rustled sympathetically. My dark lightning crackled.

"Fine, whatever," I muttered. "Let's get moving… You could've said sorry, you batty old Wizard."

I walked over to my bow and picked it up, unstringing it and slipping the unused arrow back into its quiver. Walking a few steps I turned to see that the four of them hadn't moved at all, save for Gandalf who's staff was held closer to him than it had been.

Well, _someone's _awfully protective of their possessions.

"What are you all standing there for?" I asked, squinting at them suspiciously. "Fantastic bunch of people you are. Someone says let's leave and you all stand around doing nothing. Lazy things."

That got them moving.

-----

"Hey, Gandy?" I asked finally after a long walk's silence. Gimli sniggered.

"I assume you are trying to get my attention, Víralairë," Gandalf sighed. "What is it that you want?"

"We're going to Edoras, right?"

"Yes."

"And no one except the four of us know about your change into Mister White Wizard, do they?"

"The Elves of Lothlórien know of it, but no others," the Wizard informed me.

"Then would it be smart to not give yourself away to other people?" I asked finally. The Wizard stopped walking and turned to me.

"I see what you are suggesting," he said, thinking quickly. My other companions had halted beside us, silently watching the conversation. Gandalf stepped back and spread his arms wide.

"A grey cloak if you will, Víralairë," he said calmly.

I stared at him. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"You are able to create things with your darkness, are you not?" the Wizard demanded. I nodded slowly.

"Then a cloak should not be a problem, Víra," Legolas interrupted. Aragorn and Gimli nodded their agreement.

_Great,_ I thought as I raised my hands so they stretched out towards the unmoving Wizard. _I've become an instant clothes designer. What a job._

"_Sinda lanne_ (Grey cloth)," I muttered softly. The air around me buzzed and my black lightning began to crackle out from my hands, disappearing into nothing. Annoyed, I tried to hold it back as a huge grey form began to weave itself in front of me. Through my mind I could feel every fibre, every thread and every knot in the weave of the material as it pieced together bit by bit. Suspended in space, my creation looked like a thin wall between me and the Wizard – and it was taking every shred of willpower I had to keep it together.

Finally, when I judged that I had enough material to make the clothing, I mentally tied a knot in the threads and the grey cloth dropped to the earth. I could feel my arms shaking with the use of all that power, and felt my body weaken.

"And you people said that it'd be easy," I murmured, before sinking to the ground and blacking out.

-----

"Víra!"

I heard the voice faintly through a haze of tiredness. Faintly I realized I was being held in someone's arms, and that that someone was calling my name.

"Víra!"

The urgency of their voice broke into my fuzzy head and I realized with a shock the identity of the one who was holding me.

Legolas!

Uttering a muffled cry and shaking myself awake I jumped away from the Elf, my face heating with embarrassment.

"I would say she's awake now, Legolas," I heard Aragorn mutter wryly.

"Víra, are you well?" Legolas asked, stepping up to me and resting a hand on my shoulder. I roughly shrugged it away – the simple touch of it made my whole body tingle.

"I'm fine," I said, a little more forcefully than I needed to. The Elf's hand immediately removed itself from my shoulder and I looked up to see his expression darken in concern.

"Really, I am," I assured him hastily, trying to calm myself down. "I think I just over-used my power…where is that cloak anyway?"

"This, lass?" Gimli held out an armful of grey. "It does not have the form of a cloak though."

"The girl passed out before she could complete the task," Gandalf informed him. Nodding to me he asked, "Do you feel well enough to finish?"

"I think so –" I began.

"But surely she could not cast such a spell again!" Legolas cried. "She was unconscious for but a moment, Gandalf! Her strength –"

"_Her_ strength is fine," I muttered, grabbing the cloth from the Dwarf. "You worry too much, Elfy."

Shaking out the material, which to my surprise had taken on the look and feel of Elven-made stuff, I muttered the only word that was needed. "_Collo_ (Cloak)."

With a slight rustle, the cloth knotted itself up before unfolding as the hooded cloak Gandalf had worn before his little adventure with the Balrog. It had even made its own clasp.

"Here you are," I said proudly, holding it out to the Wizard. Gandalf took it and slowly draped it about his shoulders.

"Does it pass the test, Víralairë?" he asked, smiling. "Am I inconspicuous enough for you?"

"Quit mucking around, Gandy," I ordered. "We've got a king to knock some sense into."

The Wizard smiled mysteriously. "Indeed we do."

"And I bet you're going to use your staff to bop him over the head with," I muttered as we began to walk.

-----

"One stage of your journey is over, another begins," Gandalf was explaining as we neared the edge of the forest. Around me, the trees whispered to each other as I passed making me feel strange.

"We must ride to Edoras with all speed," the Wizard added.

"Edoras?" Gimli grumbled loudly. "That is no short distance!"

"We hear of trouble in Rohan," Aragorn said to Gandalf. "It goes ill with the king."

"Yes," the Wizard confirmed, glancing back at me. "And it will not be easily cured."

"Then we have run all this way for nothing?" the Dwarf cried angrily. "Are we to leave those poor Hobbits here in this horrid, dark, dank, tree-infested –"

I glared at him angrily, the groans of the trees protesting to the name-calling.

"I-I mean charming, quite charming forest," Gimli assured both me and the trees hastily. His words were followed by some peeved but satisfied rustling.

"Don't. Do. That. Again," I muttered through clenched teeth. A loose twig fell from the canopy and hit the Dwarf's helmet with a clang. He jumped in fright but kept silent.

"It was more than mere chance that brought Merry and Pippin to Fangorn," Gandalf said, stopping and turning to us. "A great power has been sleeping here for many long years. The coming of Merry and Pippin will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains."

"I don't like avalanches!" I declared loudly, and then turned to Legolas, who had remained silent for a long while, but was now staring at me because of my strange comment. "But you did save me from being buried alive on Mount Caradhras. Thanks."

"You are welcome, _melda_," he replied, smiling.

I frowned. There was that word again. _Melda_. He'd said it before when they'd eventually found me outside Fangorn and he obviously knew that I didn't know what it meant, and so kept on saying it.

Strange.

Oh well. Plenty of time to find all that out later.

"In one thing you have not changed, dear friend – you still speak in riddles!" Aragorn was exclaiming to the Wizard. I joined in their laughter with a smile of my own.

"A thing is about to happen that has not happened since the Elder Days," the Wizard continued. He looked at the tree branches above our heads. "The Ents are going to wake up, and find that they are strong."

"Strong?" Gimli demanded incredulously. The trees began to grumble again. "Oh, that's good."

"You'd better not be saying that with any kind of sarcastic undertone, Mister Dwarf," I growled at him.

"Oh, I'm not, lass. I'm not!" The Dwarf said quickly.

"Good."

"So stop your fretting, Master Dwarf," Gandalf interrupted us. "Merry and Pippin are quite safe. In fact, they are far safer than you are about to be."

"And how will that information stop him fretting?" I couldn't help asking. Gandalf raised his staff threateningly and I backed away to hide behind Legolas.

"Help me, Elfy!" I whispered, feigning panic. "There's a madman with a stick and he's out to get me!"

"Víra," the Elf sighed. "You are impossible."

"So you've told me," I said, smiling.

**Okay, my great readers. I'll have to end it there – too much is happening and about to happen. Sorry about the long wait, but I was busy – and I mean REALLY busy. But I'll try to get the next chapter up within two weeks, okay? I bet that'll make you all happy:)**

**Welcome to the new readers and reviewers – I'm glad that you joined us all in the MADHOUSE! Hmmm… For all the lovely people that review this chappie you can get… A SHINY:) With glitters, and sparkles and shiny shinys… :) Me loves the shiny – tell me about what you got in your review! SHINYSHINYSHINYSHINYSHINY :)**

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**And as an ending note: this chapter is dedicated to my friend Kat who is moving away at the end of the week. We all love you AND YOU'D BETTER NOT FORGET US! Oh, and please keep reading:P**

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**Love ya all!**

**Víra )**


	30. The third change

**Yay! Okay, firstly, sorry about the long wait. I think that it was from both lack of inspiration and sleep. Secondly, PLEASE don't give up on me! I will now try my best to update every two weeks if not sooner, so please drop a review on your way through! I love reading your thoughts on my fic, even if it's just a little "good job, update soon". They really make me try as hard as I can to finish an update and the more reviews the merrier!**

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**Disclaimer: _I am writing this fic purely for my own enjoyment. The fact that you all happen to be reading it is just an off-side thing. Awww… no, I can't say that! You guys are my inspiration! My dedication! And my source of SHINYNESS (otherwise known as reviews!)! I don't own this thing but I'll keep writing so you have something to read and laugh at! Everybody smile :)_**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 30: EVIL trees, horses, soreness and scary eyes.

-----

Everything and everyone was silent for a few moments as we walked the last stretch of the forest. As we neared its edge, the trees around me began to reach out with their branches so I ended up nearly having to push my way through a sea of leaves to keep up with Gimli who was walking in front of me.

"Quit it!" I snapped sharply, after the foliage became so dense that I was unable to see my companions on the other side. I also had a sneaking suspicion that there were leaves barricading the path behind me as well. Fangorn didn't listen to my command.

I was forced to stop.

"Víra?" I heard Legolas's shout. "What is wrong?"

"I'm being encased in trees is what's wrong, Elfy!" I shouted back. "Gandalf? You seem to have an explanation for everything – why am I becoming a human cocoon?"

"Can you not guess?" The Wizard's voice was muffled through the thickening leaves.

"No I can't!" I yelled, my panic rising as roots began to creep up around the soles of my boots. "Help!"

"To the trees of this forest you are their essence," Gandalf began calmly as my bindings grew tighter. "The combination of Elf and Darkness in you creates life and awakens the dormant trees of Fangorn."

"Okay, so now I'm a performance-enhancing drug for forests. Just great," I muttered. "_Please_, just get me out of here!"

"Víra!" Legolas called again. I felt the trees tense at the slight sound of metal and knew that the Elf had drawn his knives.

"Halt, Legolas!" Gandalf growled. "Your weapons will be of no use here. Víralairë must do this herself."

"Thanks for the support, Gandy!" I shouted in frustration. I could feel the rising urge to blast them all to smithereens but tried to fight it down.

Besides, it's hard to destroy someone when you're wrapped form head to toe in trees, roots, leaves and whatever.

I struggled unsuccessfully for a few minutes before giving up and going limp. To my surprise, my cocoon of leaves stopped trying to bind me and instead froze completely.

_Right,_ I thought and closed my eyes. _Time to get this over with… You'd better watch out, trees…_

Concentrating hard, I let go whatever hold I'd previously had on my dark lightning. The crackling static began to reach my ears and I smiled grimly.

"I really don't like how you just leave me to make my own way out of this situation which really wasn't my fault to begin with, Gandalf," I said darkly. "I suggest you run now. And fast."

"No, Víra," I heard Legolas say firmly. "The trees of Fangorn will only drain your strength from you if you unleash your destructive power. I hear them…they hunger for it."

"Oh great, Elfy – thanks for telling me sooner," I growled, quickly clamping down on my energy once again, moments before it was about to explode. "But thank you for being more helpful than Gandalf."

"Child, I thought you might wish to do things for yourself –" the Wizard began in explanation.

"I'm doing things for myself the whole damn time!" I yelled through the leaves, which began to smother me once more. "Can someone please get them _off_?"

"Speak, child!" Gandalf cried. "Say your words! Order them away!"

_Away?_ I thought, confused. _Oh, like an order for them to get away…right, I understand…_

"_Oar _(away)!" I demanded. The foliage froze, before loosening and dropping me to the ground. I stayed in that position, breathing in the air that I hadn't realized was being squeezed from my lungs.

"Lass," the Dwarf's gruff voice said from beside my shoulder. "Are you well?"

I scowled angrily and pushed him away roughly, hearing a grunt as I stood and marched up to Gandalf. The Wizard looked only mildly surprised at my actions.

"Mister Gandalf the White," I said calmly, a tone that was opposite to the true feelings churning inside my head. "Next time I'm nearly squeezed to death by trees – or in trouble at all – I would appreciate it if you felt more inclined to assist in my rescue." I waited until I saw his slow nod before continuing. "Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I _really_ need to get out of this forest."

With that, I turned and bolted, ignoring my companion's shouts as I headed for the forest's edge.

When I reached clear ground I didn't stop, but kept running until I was a good thirty paces from Fangorn. There, I waited patiently until the rest of my group caught up.

"Before you do anything, Gandalf," I forestalled the Wizard, who was turning towards the plains. "I'd like to sort this thing out with the forest."

I turned to grab Legolas by the arm, but felt my stomach flip over at his smile. Wanting to avoid the mixed feelings he gave me I avoided him and instead chose Aragorn. I dragged the protesting Ranger within a few feet of Fangorn and asked him to hold my wrist. The man was about to protest, but saw my glare and obeyed.

"You'll see why in a moment," I told him as I stepped up to the nearest tree. Immediately the huge branches above strained themselves downwards towards us and roots began to criss-cross over my boots.

_Stop,_ I thought firmly. The tree seemed to give me its own version of an angry glare before immobilising. I felt Aragorn's grip loosen slightly and peered over my shoulder at him, giving him a warning stare. I rolled my eyes at his uncomfortable expression.

"Aragorn, just get someone else to take your place if you don't feel like keeping me from being eaten by these trees," I told him. The Ranger nodded and released my hand.

"No! You idiot!" I shouted as he turned to go. The tree roots burst into life and began twining furiously around my legs, reaching my knees within a second and trapping me completely. Fangorn must have somehow figured I was going to leave it and that this was its last chance to gain my darkness. I cried out with my thoughts as well as out loud for them to stop, but they held fast while I tore at my bindings with my fingers. I was too embedded in my panic to remember the weapons on my back, or the daggers in their sheaths. The roots just kept growing, binding my left wrist to my side and snaking over my shoulders.

"Argh! Not good!" I screamed. _Stop. Oar _(away) _Stop!_ I thought frantically. _Why aren't you –?_

A warm hand grabbed my right wrist; the trees quietened abruptly.

_What the…?_

I was encased in tree roots so tightly that I was unable to turn my head to see who it was, but I could guess.

"You really do place yourself in the most unflattering situations, Víra," Legolas said from behind me. I felt my cheeks flaming with embarrassment. "Gandalf! It seems we are in need of your help."

I heard the Wizard's exasperated sigh followed by footsteps coming closer. "Release her, tree of Fangorn. The Moré-hína's destiny does not lie solely with you."

"Trust the lass to panic and get herself in a tangle," Gimli muttered as the roots began to unwind themselves and settle into the ground once more. I stepped away from them and instead stared at the trees.

"Thanks, Gandalf," I murmured politely. _And thank you for your help before, Fangorn,_ I thought, smiling. _I know my power is hard to let go, but I promise to come back when all this is over, if I can. Just promise not to eat me next time, okay?_

I felt the Elf drop my hand as if he'd been stung.

"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned. I'd actually forgotten he was holding it.

"It is nothing, Víra," Legolas replied, glancing once at his hand before turning back to me. "Your lightning is unnerving, is all."

"Well… it hasn't bothered you before now, but maybe it's getting stronger or something," I hazarded, looking at my own arms. I heard the sound of muffled laughter and turned to see the Ranger, Dwarf and Elf all trying hard not to smile. "What?" I asked grumpily.

"Look at yourself, Víra," Aragorn chuckled. I stared at him in confusion.

"He is right. You are a quite a sight," Gandalf told me. Reaching forward he plucked a few loose twigs from my hair. I looked down at my clothing and hastily tried to brush off all the dirt that had decided to make its home there. My lack of success was infuriating.

"I am sure we will find time for a slight rest in the halls of Rohan. Enough to get you cleaned up, Víralairë," the Wizard said. Turning out towards the plains, Gandalf whistled once, high and piercing. Dropping into a lower sound he whistled again. The loud, sharp sounds carried across the fields, echoing brightly.

I smiled happily into the silence while my companions looked around with confusion. Legolas's grey eyes widened in surprise a moment before the neighing of a horse reached everyone else's ears. A flicker in the distance soon became a stallion of purest white galloping across the plains.

"That is one of the Mearas," the Elf murmured in awe, "unless my eyes are cheated by some spell."

"When do Elf-eyes fail, Legolas?" I muttered. "Your eyes are fine."

The handsome horse cantered up to us and halted in front of Gandalf.

"Shadowfax," the Wizard said. "He is the Lord of all horses, and has been my friend through many dangers."

Petting Shadowfax's mane affectionately, the Wizard turned to us as we spotted two other horses galloping up from behind him. Hasufel and Arod – the horses Éomer had given the Elf, Ranger and Dwarf. How they managed to find Shadowfax would always remain a mystery to me.

"Come now, we must make haste – we have wasted time enough!" Gandalf ordered. "Hasufel shall be your mount, Aragorn. Gimli, you ride with Legolas on Arod. I am sure Shadowfax will bear no grudge against me if I ask Víralairë to be my companion for this journey."

The white horse tossed his head proudly before stepping up to me, looking into my black-flecked eyes with his own dark ones. I smiled hesitantly – the stallion was huge! Abruptly, he snorted, blowing warm breath onto my face that smelled of crushed grass.

"It seems you have satisfied his curiosity," the Wizard smiled at me. "But Shadowfax wishes for you not to fear him. He will not harm the Elda-hína."

"Um… if you say so," I said, still uncertain. "But I've never ridden a horse before."

Aragorn knelt beside Shadowfax and held out his hands to give me a boost up. After a few failed attempts I finally managed to scramble into a sitting position on the huge stallion. I felt slightly nauseous and clutched the silver mane in front of me to keep from falling. Or jumping down and running away.

"Child," Gandalf said as he leapt lightly onto Shadowfax's back behind me. "It will be easy for you – you learn quickly. Think of it as an extension on your sword lessons."

"H-How does sword-fighting r-relate to th-this?" I stuttered incredulously as the stallion began walking slowly forward.

"If it is any consolation, lass," Gimli cried out to me. "I'm having as much fun as you did with those trees!"

"You will adjust to the movements eventually, Víra," Aragorn told me, urging his mount up beside ours. "And if you get tired of the old Wizard you can switch to riding Hasufel."

Gandalf only snorted at the Ranger's comment. Shadowfax began to pick up his pace while I became more nervous by the second.

And believe me, your first time on a horse as fast as the lord of the Mearas is not the best way to put horse riding into a good light.

"Víra," Gandalf whispered to me as we practically flew across the plains. "Once we get to Rohan I wish to test the advancement in your abilities, if you would cooperate."

"Why do you want to test me?" I asked, my voice jarring with nearly every word. "Why now?"

"I always planned to, but other…matters forced me to wait."

"Ah."

He meant the Balrog.

There was silence for a few moments, broken only by the pounding of horse's hooves.

"Gandalf?"

"Yes?"

"Will I really be able to keep a hold on my darkness?" I questioned, looking down at my hands. "I mean… Sauron's pretty damn scary when he's inside your head… oh, wait… did I tell you about that?"

"You did not, but I know of it," Gandalf sighed. "The future's of all people are uncertain at this point in time. Lady Galadriel can only see so far into her Mirror, and there is no telling if what she sees will be truth."

"So you know what I –"

"No, and unless it occurs before us I do not wish to know what the Mirror showed you."

"Oh…okay."

"And… child," Gandalf said after a slight hesitation. "Do not give in to Sauron's will. Using his power he would find a way to unlock the secrets of your dark self, and unleash it upon the world. I doubt Middle-Earth would survive."

"You're kidding, right?" I asked hesitantly. The Wizard didn't reply.

-----

When dusk settled upon the plains of Rohan, Gandalf finally called a halt. My whole body felt like it'd been stomped on, crushed, thrown off a cliff and thumped with Gandalf's staff continuously. When Shadowfax stopped, letting the Wizard down, I was able to keep my balance for a few seconds before toppling off the horse's back and into the dust.

"Víra!" I heard Aragorn shout. "What are you doing? Are you hurt?"

"I'm having a dust bath, Ranger," I said, not moving. "I thought that if all this dirt wouldn't come off, then I could always add some more!"

Aragorn chuckled.

"And as for being hurt," I added. "Well…let's see. I haven't really slept properly in ages, I've been rattled senseless by my first ride on a horse, I just fell off said horse onto a hard and rocky ground and didn't feel a thing due to other painful bruises and I don't think I'll be able to get up using my own strength. Does that cover it?"

"You cannot be feeling all those things at once, lass!" Gimli snorted. "Your head would explode!"

"Ah…but Gimli, Víra is a female," Legolas told his friend. "Women are able to feel many emotions at once without harm, you know."

"Perhaps they have thick heads," Gimli suggested. My companions laughed.

"That's right, everyone make fun at the expense of Víra when she can't even sit up," I said sarcastically, still lying where I'd fallen. A pair of boots appeared within my vision and I looked up to see the Elf smiling down at me.

"Here," he said, grabbing my arm and hauling me to my feet. My body ached with the movement, and as Legolas let go so I could achieve my balance on my own, I pitched forward unable to hold my weight. I would have knocked myself out if he hadn't caught me and helped me stand.

Suddenly, everything was going fuzzy… Legolas's frowning expression changed into a look of horror… I tried to ask him what was wrong and found that I couldn't hear myself speak.

And then the world dimmed to darkness.

-----

When I woke, someone had tucked me into my bedroll. It was the middle of the night, though the fire beside me was still burning. My head was a little dizzy as I sat up; I felt that my weapons had been removed from my back, but the hidden daggers were still hidden. Which was good.

"So. You awaken, Víralairë," I heard Gandalf murmur from somewhere on the other side of the fire. I blinked once to adjust my eyes to the darkness and saw the Wizard standing beside Aragorn, looking out to the red sky above Mordor. I glanced back and forth between them and Sauron's lair a few times before looking at Gandalf.

"You were giving Aragorn your little 'Mister-evil-eye-is-afraid-of-you-and-Frodo's-quest-is-all-hush-hush' speech, weren't you?" I asked him directly.

"You were listening to us?" the Ranger asked me in astonishment.

"No…" I replied, then grinned. "It's like what I've said to Gimli before. I can see into the future! I can predict – _stop waving your stupid stick around like that, Gandy!_"

"Even though you have just woken after being unconscious, I will not hesitate to knock sense into you – you are in great need of it, it seems," Gandalf sighed, lowering his staff. "Aragorn, the Moré-hína just knows these things. Do not question her."

"'Are in great need of sense' my foot…" I muttered. "Wait! What was that about being unconscious?"

"After your ride yesterday you fell off Shadowfax and slipped out of consciousness," Aragorn informed me.

"And then _I_ was forced to put you into your bedroll, Víra," the Elf muttered, rolling over to look at us.

_Um…he's awake?_ I thought, embarrassed. "Uh…thanks for that, Legolas. Hey… you're saying that like it was a bad thing!"

The Ranger laughed. "He _did_ complain a little. But _really,_ the Elf enjoyed it – who couldn't resist placing a lady into her sleeping quarters?" he asked in jest. The Elf raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"I bet Legolas could resist," I began under my breath. "I'm filthy! And I need a bath."

I watched Legolas smile in the darkness.

"Now all we need to complete our night-watch group is a certain Dwarf…" Aragorn said, glancing down at Gimli.

A loud snore erupted from the Dwarf's beard, sending me into fits of laughter. "Or not!" I finished for Aragorn.

"Hush, or you will wake him," Gandalf murmured. "What I wish to know is what Legolas saw before you were put to bed. He did not want to tell us."

_Yeah…_ I thought, frowning. _I remember him looking at me weirdly…_ "Elfy?" I asked.

The Elf sighed. "Your eyes, Víra. They are now as orange as if a flame burns within." He gestured towards the fire.

"Great use of poetic talking there, Legolas," I congratulated him. "All that blasting of Orcs and stuff must've finally left its mark on me. Let's see."

Summoning my orb I slipped one of my daggers into my hand and looked at my reflection. Shrugging acceptingly I dismissed the globe and sheathed my weapon.

"Awesome, I've gone up a level again," I said cheerfully. "What's so bad about that, Elfy?"

Silence followed my question. I turned to see the Elf avoiding my gaze.

"Fine then, Legolas Greenleaf," I huffed. "I really don't understand what my friends see in you."

"What is your meaning?" the Elf asked, curious in spite of himself.

"Oh… I just know a few people who would give anything to be in my position right now," I said uncaringly, getting up out of my bedroll. "I'm going for a short walk – I think my magic's building up and I don't want to blast you guys."

Forming my light orb again I wandered away into the darkness.

After a few short minutes I was far enough away from our camp that I wouldn't be bothering anyone – except maybe Legolas with his superhuman hearing ability. Sitting down, I made myself comfortable.

Taking a deep breath I let my mind go blank, as if I was summoning my light. But instead, I relaxed the hold on my dark self and let loose with all the energy I'd kept stored and unused for the past few days. The air about me exploded with blackened lightning – the cracking sounds I heard could have woken the dead if they'd been in this close.

Well… woken and then fried to a crisp, anyway.

I forgot everything except the dark lightning tingling over my skin. When the last of it had died down I stood up, and looked around me with distaste. A jagged circle perhaps sixty feet across was burnt into the grass. I was at its centre – the cause of this destruction.

"That was impressive," I heard someone say to me, and spun to find Legolas walking over to me from the camp.

"Actually, Elfy, it wasn't impressive, it was terrifying. I completely lost control of myself for a moment." I stood and walked through the ashes to stand beside him, dust swirling around my feet. "For a while I think I forgot who I was."

"Sounds eerie," the Elf noted. I nodded solemnly.

"So…what did you come over here to talk about?" I asked finally. "You must've had a good reason for moving your lazy self from your bedroll to come and see little old me."

"You are hardly elderly, Víra."

"Yeah, I know. Figure of speech."

"And it happens to be my watch. I thought that you might want some company."

"Ah, okay."

In the silence that followed I began to feel uncomfortable, as the Elf's presence always did nowadays. I was so tense that when he began talking again I jumped at the sound of his voice. He didn't notice, and continued.

"Your…creation was one of a kind, was it not? Born as a Dark Elf, then reborn as a human...and yet you have no memories of your original form," Legolas mused. "It is strange though, that your creator allowed you to keep the form of an Elf-child."

"I guess…" I said hesitantly. "I mean, all other things Sauron's had his hand in making are all ugly and twisted – like the Ringwraiths, and the Orcs… Heh. I don't think I'm much better-looking, though."

"Do not speak nonsense, Víra! You are –" the Elf cut off and looked away.

"I'm what?" I asked curiously. "Nasty? Weird? Strange? Horrible? I know I smell…"

"You carry the beauty of all Elves, Víra," Legolas said seriously. "Do not berate yourself."

Much to my horror, I blushed. I hastily extinguished my orb so he wouldn't see. "If you say so…"

"In any case, I wished to speak with you about your eyes," the Elf told me, finally getting to the point. Anyone else in my place would have fainted in to romantic thoughts. I just sighed in understanding.

"I know," I said sadly. "They're still flecked with black, and now there's a dark circle ringing the colour as well."

"That is so, but…" the Elf shook his head. "Before you collapsed, I saw in your eyes an image of fear."

"Fear as in me being afraid? Or fear as in it makes other people scared?" I asked, fearing the worst.

"The latter."

I swore under my breath.

"Your eyes were completely blackened, Víra," Legolas said, looking directly at me. "And within them I saw the fiery Eye of Sauron."

**ARGH! Test! _studies frantically_ Phew… now I can work on my chapter – NO! Brother's birthday to prepare for! Sleepover with friends! Talk with Kat-who-left-a-month-ago! MORE tests! _Looks dizzy_ Eheh…****Well, as you can see I've been busy. :( And kinda depressed…and learning Japanese so I can get into the classes next year… bombarded with work…it's been a horrible few months, really. But I managed to get this much done, so I'll post:) I bet you're all really happy…**

**This chappie's reviewing incentive: a Shiny Orb of Shiny! Yay! Now, if and when you review, you get a Shiny Orb of Shiny! Which will contain an object that you desire! Be it chocolate, food, shiny, Elfy, sparkles – anything! Yay! So review! And make my day:)**

**And now the bad news… I was planning to have an update ready by next weekend, but I have two assignments and tons of work to do by then! I also have to fit time in to visit my cousin who's flying up from Brisbane. :) Whatever's happening, I will find the time to post VERY soon! I'm really psyched about this story – nearly 500 reviews! That's half a thousand! Yay!**

**And now some good news again – for me anyway! It's my birthday on Wednesday! Yay! I'll be… DUN DUN DUUUUUN! Fifteen! Go me:)**

**Anyways, happy reading and reviewing! _Namárië!_**

**Víra (YAY! MY BIRTHDAY! OOOH! 15 is half of 30! I'm turning 15 and this is chapter 30! COOL!)**


	31. Falling Víras!

**SPECIAL THANKS TO SORCERESS OF THE CAT FOR THE 500TH REVIEW:) -_hugs-_ THANK YOU!! AND THANKS TO ALL!!** **-**_**grabs** **everyone in HUGE hug- **_

**Much thanks to: childoftheking, Legolanderin, erowyne, Laer4572, Elevanya, b2 (Yep! Box of chocies indeed! Thanks for the compliment about Elfy/Víra! And I will try my best to update more often :) ), got-lotr, elysianecho, Socks Are Yummy, ArwenEvenstar83, Fire wolfess, Nina (YAY! Thank you:) I'm sorry you had to wait this long to see what happens next! Gomen!), Sorcerss of the Cat, DanCrazed, acid tearz eternate (you usually ARE on the reviewers list, Danny. You just didn't review the chapter 29. I thank people who review, like I am doing now:) ), ponysteph15, Padme4000, Ainigma, Me (Random is what I try to be! It makes life more fun :P Thanks for you review!), Moedhaer (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Or…happy late B'day because when I've posted this it'll be AFTER your birthday…ehehe…MORE IS HERE:) ), Orchid's Rain, kerphchmel (we shalst wait for thee to update:) thanks for the review!), Maid of Imladris and Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi! THANKS A BILLION!!!**

**Disclaimer: _As one does not own the drifting seasons of snow, heat, blossom and rain I lay no claim upon anything but myself. _Pretty and poetic, no?**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 31: strange…things… o.O Oh, I get to fall off a horse again. Joy.

-----

After a moment's silence I sighed and seated myself on the grass at the edge of the blackened circle.

"It was only a matter of time, Elfy," I said softly, lying back and staring up at the bright stars. "After Sauron invaded my mind I could tell that this would probably happen."

"I see," Legolas replied, gracefully seating himself beside me.

"Of course you see – you've got Elf-eyes," I muttered. "And Legolas?"

"Yes?"

"I think I'm used to just about anything, now," I told him. "What with my mood swings, being someone I didn't think could exist, travelling between worlds and colour-changing eyes as well as other things. Why don't you think you can trust me?"

"I trust you, Víra," the Elf assured me hastily. I looked up at him, studying his expression in the darkness.

"But…you don't," I said finally. "You waited until now to tell me that you'd seen the Dark Lord in my eyes – do you realize how important it is for me to know stuff like this as soon as possible?"

There was silence. "It seems that I do not understand your situation fully. I am sorry, Víra."

I smiled. "Legolas. A while ago you promised me your protection, right?"

"Yes," the Elf nodded.

"But is keeping knowledge from me the right way to protect me?" I asked casually.

"I… I guess it is not. My apologies, I meant only to –"

"Oh, what am I doing?" I growled, sitting up. "I'm making a mountain out of a pebble. Jeez… What is with me these days?"

"Nothing is wrong with you."

"It was a rhetorical question, Elfy. No answers needed."

"I see."

"This would be a great time for another Elf-eyes joke but I've already said one already!" I exclaimed.

"Excuse me?"

"Never mind." I looked up at the stars, just for something to do. "I think it's something to do with the night."

"The falling of night has a connection to you not being able to joke about the vision of an Elf?" Legolas asked, amused.

"Idiot," I muttered, punching him lightly on the arm. "I mean…it's to do with me being serious. When it's dark I feel more relaxed then I ever do."

"You do not know how unnerving it is to hear you say such a thing," Legolas told me, a dry tone entering his voice. I thought over my words for a moment before grinning sheepishly.

"That did sound a bit evil, didn't it?"

-----

I lay curled up in my bedroll, staring up at the dark sky. It was still Legolas' watch but I really didn't feel like talking to him at the moment. There were too many uncomfortable topics connecting us, and I didn't think making me and my dark lightning uncomfortable was such a good idea. Let's just say that it was for the sake of the Elf's health. And probably the health of everyone else in the world.

Anyway, back to staring at shiny stars…

In the silence of the plains of Rohan I must've dozed off, because the next thing I knew I was staring down at an impossibly high wall… tree… thing… whatever. And I could hear…something that sounded like softly beating drums.

_Wait a minute…_ I thought suddenly. _Looking _down_ at a _wall?

It was at that moment I realized I was floating impossibly high beside an impossibly high tower…

Twisting around to see where the drum beats were coming from I froze in shock. To my eyes, they looked like they were made of light…but that was impossible! I sighed.

…So make that floating impossibly high beside an impossibly high tower…with a pair of impossible wings.

Hell. What a dream.

_Well…hopefully it's a dream,_ I thought, flexing my weird new wings experimentally.

"I can see the ground from here, so maybe…" I trailed off as my body tilted forward so I was hanging upside down. The blood rushed to my head and my vision swirled in sickening circles.

"I was wrong! This isn't a dream! It's a damn nightmare!" I screamed as the light-wings pressed themselves to my back and I plummeted from the sky.

As I fell, I felt the familiar sensation of the dark lightning crackle over my body – but this time, it wasn't just on my arms, it was on my face, in my hair, on my back…everywhere! Even though this was only a dream I could also feel the darkness creeping over my wings, tainting them and turning them into black light.

"No!" I yelled, the wind snatching my voice away form my throat as I continued my terrifying, rapid descent.

Everything blurred and I began to scream in terror. I could just make out a dozen or so black specks on the ground – as I neared them I realized they were people. Faceless people. All with blank faces excepting one. I squinted, trying to identify who it was. Then the figure looked up.

_Legolas!_

My heart stopped, my breath caught in my throat. Then I tried yelling at him to tell him to move as the earth below me turned to fire. I felt the blistering heat on my face as I fell, screaming with terror into the searing flames.

While all around me the air echoed with cold, dark laughter.

-----

I jerked upright, gasping in pain and shock. My vision blurred momentarily before snapping into focus.

"Víra!"

I winced.

"No need to shout, Aragorn – I'm not deaf," I muttered.

"Víra!" Another voice sighed with relief. "You are well."

"Elfy?" I said, choking on my indrawn breath. "You – you didn't burn?"

Legolas looked startled for a moment before smiling gently. "I did not. None of us were affected, do not worry."

"Although," Gandalf interrupted, "With the mass of dark energy you were emitting I'm surprised those two managed to wake you."

"…Dark…energy?" I asked slowly. "You mean…my lightning?"

"Was that not what you were referring to before?" Legolas asked, confused.

"_I_ was talking about a dream I had…must've muddled it with reality," I added carefully. _It seemed so real!_ I thought, frowning. _Stupid Legolas…popping up in my dreams…_

"You were dreaming of me?" the Elf asked, raising his eyebrow questioningly.

I clapped my hands to my mouth, my eyes widening in shock. "Did I say that out loud?" I gasped.

"Say what out loud?" he asked. "I was wondering why you asked if I had been burnt."

"Oh…okay…never mind me then!" I said cheerfully. "Yes, I was dreaming about you…sort of. I'll tell you about it later, okay?"

The Elf nodded. "As you wish."

_He's so agreeable all the time…I wonder…could he… L–?_

I shook my head sharply. _What the hell? Where did _that_ thought come from? I must still be tired…_

I noticed that both Legolas and Aragorn were trying to look everywhere but at me. I squinted suspiciously at them for a moment before my sleepy mind understood that they were looking uncomfortable and my logic gave me a reason why.

"Oh, for the love of…! Jeez, you two – it's a _nightdress_," I said, grinning and standing up. The two of them promptly turned their backs to me. I rolled my eyes. "You're all so hopeless! It's not as if I'm wearing _nothing at all…_"

There was an embarrassed clearing of throats and comically amusing shuffling of feet. My smile widened and I began to laugh.

Confident that my companions would be chivalrous enough not to peek, I dressed quickly with the speed of tons of practice. I guess that's what you get when you travel all over a world with a bunch of guys.

"Boys will be boys!" I said teasingly, stepping up between them and slinging my arms around their shoulders. The Ranger and the Elf froze in shock before they realized that I was actually 'properly dressed'. I sighed, shaking my head.

"I'm not going to take offence, jeez!" I muttered. "Unless you purposely look then it's all good!"

"I would not want to witness your torturing, Legolas," Aragorn said to the Elf with a grin. "So I suggest you suppress the urge to watch part-Elf girls while they're bathing."

I felt my eyebrow twitch. "Say _what?_" I shouted, glaring at the Ranger. Legolas winced and I felt a twinge of guilt for his sensitive Elfy-ears.

Aragorn hastily unhooked his shoulder from my grasp and backed away. "My apologies, Víra! It was only in jest – I promise!"

"It'd better have been," I growled, letting go of Legolas' shoulder and stomping over to my bedroll.

"Girls…" Gandalf muttered, startling me. In all the…_commotion_ I'd forgotten he was there.

"Can it, Mister Wizard!" I snapped. "Let's just get going. We need to get to Edoras. Just let me kick or zap Gimli awake and we'll be off."

-----

In the end I decided to ride with Legolas on his horse because he was the one making me the least grumpy. Well, apart from Gimli but he didn't have a horse so he didn't count. He was also a bit peeved about the Víra-alarm clock, which happened to be me yelling and throwing things at him until he woke up. When the Dwarf asked to ride with Legolas I just growled at him until he agreed to go with Aragorn.

It didn't take long for yesterday's worn-out muscles to become sore again so I decided to pass the awful time by grumbling about it to Legolas.

The thing is, and Elf's patience is _really_ hard to break. I mean, I was at it for hours before he told me to shut up before I lost my voice from talking too much.

But he said it nicely and politely of course.

Because he's an Elfy. And a Princeling Elfy at that. I don't think you can get a more polite Elf than Prince Legolas Greenleaf.

_Hey…_ I thought, grinning to myself. That's_ something I could badger him about._

"Elfy?" I called over my shoulder.

"Yes, Víra? I pray that you are not going to enlighten me on how your backside is paining you," he muttered.

"Hell no. I'm bored with that."

"That did not take long," Legolas said sarcastically.

I head-butted his shoulder. "Oi! It gave me something to do! And now I'm happier then I was before because I got to annoy people! This time it's something slightly different."

"Thank the Valar."

I chose to ignore that.

"Your name means Greenleaf, right?" I asked him, getting back to my original topic.

"Yes."

"So… translating it into Common your name would be Greenleaf Greenleaf?" I inquired innocently.

This time there was a hesitation before he answered. "Yes. Although the Elves do speak their names in their own tongue even when Sindarin or Quenya are not the languages being used."

"Ha! Greetings Princeling Greenleaf Greenleaf! How are you faring today Greenleaf Greenleaf? I hope you are enjoying yourself Greenleaf Greenleaf!" I chanted all the sentences I could think of before I ran out of breath and had to stop.

"Víra!" Legolas said sternly as I breathed deeply. "Stop this or I will retaliate and call you Rosefield – or Rose, perhaps!"

My mouth shut with a snap. Grabbing hold of Arod's mane I turned carefully to glare at my companion.

"You. Wouldn't. Dare," I told him through gritted teeth, my eyes flashing dangerously.

To my surprise the Elf sighed in defeat. "You are correct. I cannot bring myself to act against a lady."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh, really?" I asked mischievously.

The Elf looked at me suspiciously. "What are you thinking of doing now, Víra?"

"Something that'll probably make you wish you hadn't said that before," I said, grinning widely. Legolas continued to look worried.

I let go of Arod's mane with one hand and leaned backwards so my head was resting on his shoulder.

"Víra…" the Elf murmured. "What are you –?"

Quickly turning around I tilted my face up and kissed him lightly on his cheek before hurriedly turning away and edging as far away as possible.

I still wasn't quick enough to miss the beginnings of the Elf's blush or his crimson ears.

Unfortunately, Arod chose that moment to practice some fancy footwork around a bush causing me to lose my balance and tumble off into the dust. Luckily he'd been slowing down or I would have been seriously hurt.

As it was, I only recieved a few more bruises to add to my collection. Just my luck.

"Víralaire!" Gandalf called from above me as my head stopped spinning. "That was quite a fall! Are you hurt?"

I shook my head slowly, half in answer to his question and half to clear it. "Just a few bruises I can heal once we get to Edoras," I told him as the other two horses circled back to meet us. Gimli was trying not to laugh so I scowled at him.

"Luckily for you, Edoras is not far," Aragorn said to me. The Ranger pointed over his shoulder where I could see lots of little buildings dotted all over a huge hill. Perched at the top was a huge building which impressed me even at this distance.

"Wow. That's awesome!" I exclaimed.

"That is Edoras," Gandalf told us. "And the Golden Hall of Meduseld. There dwells Théoden, King of Rohan, whose mind is overthrown. Saruman's hold over King Théoden is now very strong."

A rush of dread and despair swept over me and I felt sick. There was an evil here which was calling out to my darkness. _Poor Théoden,_ I thought sadly._ His soul still looks out form that puppet-body of his, seeing every evil crime he commits and hearing every vile word spoken from his mouth._

I shook my head. I was beginning to think like Gandalf! Just great.

Legolas dismounted Arod, helped me stand and assisted me as I clambered back onto the horse's back.

"Víra?" I heard the Wizard say.

"Yes, Gandy?" I asked.

"I am grateful you have calmed yourself," he told me. "Your fall has knocked some sense into you and hopefully the use of my staff will not be necessary."

"Yay!" I cried, smiling warmly.

"However, you need to learn proper respect for a king – Théoden will not take kindly to your joking or your witty remarks. Try to control yourself."

I nodded obediently. Gandy's staff looked at me threateningly. Well, as much as an inanimate object with no eyes can seem threatening. I reckon it did a pretty good job – it must take after its owner.

"Be careful what you say," the Wizard continued, paying no attention to his staff whatsoever. "Do not look for welcome here."

"Not until we teach that idiot Saruman a lesson he won't forget," I muttered under my breath as the horses began to move forward.

"Víra…" the Elf began slowly. "About before…"

"Hmm?" I said vaguely. I'd been thinking about blasting Saruman into tiny little pieces and burning them. "Before…?"

"Yes." The Elf cleared his throat. "When you…"

"Oh!" I said, feeling my face and ears turn crimson. _Stupid impulsive actions!_ I scolded myself. "Um…yeah? What about it?"

"It was highly uncalled for. You didn't mean anything by it, did you?" he asked.

I struggled with my inner feelings for a few moments before deciding on my answer.

"No," I said firmly. I felt _really_ guilty.

"Ah," he replied softly.

_Yes,_ my heart and mind called out silently. _I meant everything by it! Please understand!_

_Shut up,_ another part of me shouted. _It's not as if he cares, really. You're a child to him. A _child.

But my heart didn't listen and continued to yearn for the Elfy it had fallen hopelessly in love with.

I just hope that feeling didn't make me do anything like _that_ again.

Falling off horse just _sucks._

**Whew! -_grins-_ I'm back! And I'm not dead! YAY! Everybody cheer!**

_**-Silence-**_

…**ooookay…don't worry about it then. Anyways, I have been terribly busy, BUT I HAVE FINISHED GRADE 10 FOREVER!!! YAY!!! And I think I'll have time to post at least 8 chappies before I have to go back to school next year…I'll try really hard to have one finished each weekend, okay? And I had a great birthday, however many eons ago THAT was.**

**And a very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very VERY big thank you to my readers who have stuck around and who will (hopefully) stay with me now that I've posted, finally! YAY! -_hugs all-_ Okay, I'm good. Apologies for the shortish chapter, and if it's weird then sorry, I'm kinda in a rush because I have a plane to catch tomorrow morning! FUNFUN!!! And I'll be back next week if I don't pass out from jetlag on Saturday getting back home:)**

**And the special thingo this week is…your favourite LOTR character made all cute and CHIBI:D YAY! I'll take a Víra and an Elfy and an Aragorn and a… oh, mum's yelling at me and telling me to get to sleep so I can wake up in time to catch the plane. Eheh…must go! Byeeee!!!**

_**-hugs-**_

**Lady ElfDragon :)**


	32. The slimy man

**Hiya all! -_grins-_ Wow, look at that – It's been less than a fortnight and I'm back already! Toldya! _-winks-_**

**A HUGE thank you to all you wonderful reviewers! _-hugs-_ You make me feel like writing! …Which is a good thing… I think…**

**Ah yes! Chibi Characters to: ****childoftheking****, ArwenEvenstar83, Jedi X-men Serena Kenobi, Elevenya, Maid of Imladris, Socks Are Yummy, DanCrazed, Laer4572, Sorceress of the Cat, KSarinaW, Moedhaer (You are always gross you sick mind you:P Yeah, and the relationship between Víra and Elfy is very different to the one between you and the Joker :) ), ponysteph15, Padme4000 and erowyne. Hmm… it seems that I've lost some reviewers…maybe I shouldn't be so long without updating… **

**Now…onto the Fanfic!**

**Disclaimer: _I do not own stuff…Some stuff I do own but it's not worth mentioning because it's all basically other people's stuff anyway. I guess some of it is my stuff otherwise this whole thing would be copied and everyone would already know what was going to happen and never read it. But people do read so I must own stuff…I think I'll shut up now coz I know you'd all rather read the fic then listen to my insane ramblings…_**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 32: EDORAS!!! And swords. And Kings. And power. And Evil Slimy People.

-----

As we entered Edoras through the huge gate in the wall which surrounded the city, a dark shape fluttered down onto the grass a few paces away. As Aragorn's horse passed through the gate the Ranger looked down at the form and frowned, but continued into the city with Gimli grumbling behind him. Arod, Legolas and I were the last to go through because Gandalf and Shadowfax had entered first.

"Stop please, Legolas," I said quietly.

The Elf nodded and called for Arod to halt. I slid gracefully from his back and landed neatly on the grass.

_I suppose being part Elf has its good points,_ I thought dryly.

The guards at the gate observed my actions coolly without any show of interest whatsoever – even though I was almost certain that a female Elf in breeches was not a common sight for them. Although it was hard to be certain – _I'd_ never been to Rohan before now. Not that I could remember anyway.

Walking over to the shape I untangled it from the long grass and held it up in front of me. I smiled slightly as I saw a brilliant white stallion embroidered on a background of deep green bordered with an intricate design of red and gold.

_What a magnificent banner to behold,_ I thought. _And I bet that horse is Gandalf's Shadowfax._

My smile turned to a frown when I saw that that left side of the flag had been shredded to pieces.

Well. Something would have to be done about that.

"Elfy!" I called, turning to face Legolas.

"Yes, Víra?" he replied.

"Can you tell me the word for flag, please?" I asked. I hope he noticed my change of attitude from annoying to polite. I'd decided to stop bothering everyone in the short time I had to practice before Théoden woke up again.

"Certainly," the Elf nodded. Ah, so he had noticed and was being polite back. Excellent! "It is _ambal_, Víra."

I gave him my thanks before turning my attention back to the flag. I didn't know why I felt so strongly about repairing it – maybe it would make a good impression upon the King or something.

"Okay, here goes something," I muttered. "_Pána ambal_ (fix flag)," I murmured, tracing the tears in the fabric. There was a moment where nothing happened; I held my breath and the threads knitted up before my eyes. I smiled.

"Very nice," I said to myself. "Now I have a present."

"Víralairë!" I heard Gandalf call from beyond the gate. "Make haste! We do not have much time!"

"Be right there!" I shouted back. I strode back to Arod, folding the banner as I went. When I reached him I stopped.

"Um…Legolas?" I asked quietly. "How do I get back on the horse?"

The Elf frowned. "You were able to dismount with ease. Mounting should prove no trouble for you."

"Yeah, but I'm not about to trust Elven grace when I know I can't count on it all the time," I grumbled. "Besides, those guard guys are watching my every move and that's not exactly a bonus." I glanced nervously at the two emotionless men standing on either side of the gate.

The Elf sighed. "As you wish, _melda_," he said. He turned to face the two men. "Guards!"

The two men snapped to attention, automatically responding to the commanding note in Legolas' voice.

"Impressive, Princeling," I murmured. I saw the Elf smile slightly.

"My good men, if you would be kind enough to assist this lady back upon her steed?" he asked.

_Wonderful!_ I thought, smiling inwardly. _No-one can resist my Elfy._

Whoa. _My_ Elfy? Where the Hell did _that_ come from?

_But it _is_ true,_ I told myself as one of the guards knelt to boost me up to my former position. _There are few who can go against the charms of an Elf._

…_Including yourself_, a small voice muttered in the far corner of my mind.

_Shut up evil mini-voices in my head!_ I screamed silently. _You'll turn me into a damn Schizophrenic! I can't love an Elf who will never love me back!_

Evil, _evil_ feelings.

Now that I was back upon Arod, Legolas thanked the man before continuing on through the gates.

"That took you some time," Gandalf noted as we caught up with him.

"Sorry about that, Gandy," I apologized, holding up the folded material. "But now I have a nice little gift, see?"

The Wizard nodded before signalling for us to continue.

"Víra," Legolas muttered to me from behind. "That banner you carry was torn from that pole up there." He pointed to the Golden Hall at the top of the hill where I could vaguely see a pair of poles – one with a flag and one without. I also thought I saw a figure in white, but when I looked again it was gone.

"Yes, thank you Elfy. But I already know that," I told him.

"You were able to see it?" the Elf asked, surprised.

"No."

"Then how…?"

"I just _know_, okay Legolas?" I snapped, irritated.

He said nothing for a while before murmuring, "I had thought you had miraculously changed from the old Víra to a polite Víra, _melda_. I now believe I was incorrect."

The comment hurt, especially coming from him. To make it even worse he _knew_ that what he had said had stung. Stupid Elfy.

I was silent as I observed our surroundings. The people watched without expression as we passed. Some were whispering to each other and glancing at me, which made me feel nervous as well as slightly ticked off.

"They are mourning," Legolas murmured. "Someone well-known or loved has passed."

I said nothing. I already knew who it was.

And their mourning didn't explain why they were all giving me evil glances.

As we reached the Golden Hall, Legolas dismounted before helping me off Arod also. Some random people came to lead our horses to the stables – Shadowfax protested to being led and instead followed proudly behind Arod and Hasufel with his head held high.

My companions and I walked up the steps to the doors of the Golden Hall. As we approached, the doors opened to reveal a man flanked by half a dozen more guards.

"They sure like guarding things around here, don't they?" I muttered to Gimli.

"Aye, lass. That they do," the Dwarf said gruffly.

"Ah," Gandalf stopped as the men blocked his path.

"Hi!" I exclaimed. "How are you? We'd like to see King Théoden please!"

Aragorn stepped on my foot.

"Ouch!" I punched him on the arm. "What was that for? I was only trying to be polite!"

"Just be silent!" the Ranger hissed.

"Fine," I huffed.

"I cannot allow you before Théoden King so armed, Gandalf Greyhame," the Doorman told the Wizard sternly.

I bit back a retort about Gandalf only having two arms like the rest of us when the man added: "By order of Gríma Wormtongue."

"That evil little sneaky snake," I muttered, clutching the straps of my quiver and the sheaths of my twin knives. Legolas shot me a warning look and I let my hands drop.

The Wizard nodded to each of us in turn – Aragorn slung his quiver and bow off his shoulders followed by his sword, the knife the Elves had given him and a dagger I hadn't realized that he'd had before. On my other side Gimli reluctantly gave up his battle axe and his belt of smaller throwing-axes. In unison, Elfy and I unsheathed our knives and handed them hilt-first to the guards in front of us. Then our quivers and bows were relinquished before the Elf handed over his belt-dagger.

I smiled innocently up at the man who glared unyieldingly at me.

"Víra!" Aragorn hissed. "What are you doing? These people are experts and they know what you carry! Hand over your daggers! Immediately!"

I shrugged, releasing the hidden blades from their sheaths in my sleeves before twirling them expertly between my fingers and offering their hilts to the guard.

"It was worth a try," I muttered. Having been with my weapons for so long it made me feel empty and unprotected without them.

Although I _wasn't_ unprotected. My third of darkness made sure of that. The dark lightning crackled dangerously over my hands as the guard took my daggers away. The man blinked before shaking his head, assuming he was seeing things.

Hmm…what he didn't know couldn't hurt him.

Well, it could. But you get that.

"Oh yeah," I said, unfolding the material that I'd tied to my belt when I'd hopped back on Arod. "This is yours."

I handed them the flag.

Everything now done, Gandalf smiled at the Doorman who looked at him suspiciously.

"Your staff," he said finally, nodding to the white stick-thing in Gandalf's hand.

"Hm? Oh…" Gandalf smiled warmly. "You would not part an old man from his walking stick?"

_You cheat!_ I thought. _How come I don't get to keep my weapons? I _am_ a _girl_ after all – I doubt they think I can do much to harm their king. No doubt they also think my weapons are just for show. Ha! Proves what they know!_

The man considered the Wizard's words for a moment before nodding his acceptance. As he turned to lead us inside Gandalf smiled at me and winked.

I grinned back.

As we walked up the remaining steps to the doors a huge shadow seemed to settle on my mind. I choked on my breath and began to cough violently, doubling over and clutching my chest.

"Lass!" Gimli shouted in panic. "What's wrong?"

"The darkness," I rasped before descending into another fit of coughing. When I emerged I added. "It…calls to me…and I know this feeling of evil… It's Saruman. He's trying to get a hold on my power."

"Damn it all," Aragorn muttered as I began to cough again. "Why at a time like this?"

"Because," I told him after I'd stopped coughing. "Mr. Evil Wizard is in there, controlling the king with his magic."

"I see," Aragorn said after a long pause. His mouth formed a determined line as the Doorman called from the entrance.

"Is your lady well?"

Aragorn looked at me enquiringly. My eyes flashed with determination and I stood up straight, forcing the coughing fit aside.

"I'm fine," I muttered. _And now I want to get rid of that Wizard more than ever._

"Lady Víra is fine," the Ranger assured the man. "She is just not used to the winds here in Edoras."

_What the…?_ I thought. _I haven't even noticed the difference. I _like_ the wind…_

But the Doorman seemed to find Aragorn's excuse reasonable because he nodded and gestured for us to continue.

Inside he bowed then moved aside so we could enter. The Wizard made sure to keep his staff held low.

"My lord, Gandalf the Grey is coming."

I heard the whisper as if it were a shout. In the silent hall I heard everything except Legolas's footsteps.

"He brings with him the tainted Elf."

I flinched. Great. Even the people of Rohan have heard of me. That _would _explain the looks of distrust I'd received earlier. Or maybe only Wormtongue had heard it from his master – Saruman.

Hell. That was just as bad.

Behind us, the door clicked shut and I heard a key turning in its lock. Legolas' timely placed hand on my shoulder was the only thing which stopped me from spinning around and glaring.

"What, so you can read my thoughts now?" I whispered, low enough so nobody but him could hear.

"I only wish to stop you from acting rashly," he whispered back in the same quiet tones. "Now listen. The guards from before are readying themselves to attack us. Be alert."

"Whatever," I muttered, shrugging his hand off my shoulder. He let it fall.

"The courtesy of your hall has somewhat lessened of late, Théoden King," Gandalf said loudly.

"That's true," I murmured, looking around at the silent people haunting the shadows.

"They are not welcome." Gríma's slimy voice slipped harshly through the air to reach our ears.

"I _really_ wanna kick him, Elfy," I growled. "Can I? Please? Please? Pretty please?"

"Hush," was all Legolas said in reply. I glared at him but fell silent once again, turning my attention to the bedraggled form seated at the end of the hall.

"Why should I welcome _you_, Gandalf Stormcrow?" a hoarse voice whispered. I looked around, startled, before I realized that it was coming from the depths of the ragged form's beard.

"A just question, my liege," Wormtongue praised him as he stood to face us. "Late is the hour in which this conjuror chooses to appear. Láthspell I name him. Ill news is an ill guest."

_Wow,_ I thought. _Gandalf has yet another name. That's three so far since entering Edoras. How long has this guy been around?_

Never mind. I already knew the answer just by looking at him – a long, _long_ time.

I took a deep breath as the horrid little greasy man approached us, looked first at Gandalf, then at myself. I shivered with distaste under his gaze and looked away in disgust.

"Be silent!" the Wizard commanded. "Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth."

"Yeah!" I exclaimed, dodging around to hide behind Legolas. "You're freaky!"

I ducked back behind the Elf when Gríma glared at me with reptilian eyes.

"I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm!" Gandalf continued. He brought up his staff swiftly and shoved it in the little man's face.

"His staff," Gríma mumbled fearfully. "I _told_ you to take the Wizard's staff!"

"Ha! Shows how much these guys respect you!" I taunted.

As if that was a signal, a whole group of guards, soldiers and people from the shadows rushed out to confront us. Legolas and Aragorn leapt into action, punching and kicking and blocking to their heart's content.

Gimli just had to run into people to put them out of action – he was still wearing his helmet.

And suddenly, I found myself unprotected with an arm around my neck while I found it hard to breathe.

"Are you a lady Elf or a demon disguised as one?" the voice form behind me growled. I kicked out behind me – the man grunted but held fast. "From your eyes I'll take it the latter is true." Whoever it was tightened their hold.

_Damn it…_ I thought as spots danced across my eyes. _I totally forgot about my orange eyes!_ _Think, Víra, think! A word to get him to let you go! Hurry!_

"Théoden, son of Thengel," Gandalf was saying. "Too long have you sat in the Shadows."

"Let the lady _go!_" A voice hissed. A punch knocked my captor's hold away in sync with the last word. I breathed deeply before smiling warmly at my rescuer.

"Thanks, Elfy. I thought I was finished! I couldn't think of any words at all!" I gasped. "Behind –!"

The Elf's fist flicked back and punched the approaching man on the nose, causing him to stagger back before falling onto the ground, unconscious.

"…you," I finished. "How did you –?"

Legolas tapped his ears gently. "I have the ears of an Elf, if you remember. I heard him coming."

"Ah."

A few of the guards on the ground were stirring and trying to sit up. Not wanting anyone else to get hurt I walked over to them, tapping each on the head and muttering, "_Lóre_ (sleep)."

"Nicely done," Aragorn complimented me as I walked back over to the group. I smiled at him.

Gimli was standing on Gríma's stomach and glaring at him. "I would stay still if I were you!" the Dwarf warned. I glared down at the greasy man with my glowing eyes to freak him out and grinned at his look of horror.

_Oh…this is fun!_ I thought to myself. _I shall relish this memory forever!_

"Harken to me!" Gandalf was saying to the form on the throne. King Théoden glanced at the Wizard approaching him. Gandalf put out his hand, the palm facing Théoden, and closed his eyes to concentrate. "I release you from the spell."

There was a slight pause before Théoden began to laugh harshly. The Wizard's hand was seemingly shaking with effort and he opened his eyes to stare at the king.

"You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey," said the ragged puppet-king, still laughing.

The Wizard straightened his back and threw off the grey fabric that hid his shining white cloak. A bright light seemed to shine from his body and staff – the king recoiled from him, his laughter sharply cut off.

"Time for SuperWizard! Dun dun dun!" I cried, grinning and looking up from my glaring-at-the-evil-advisor game.

"I will draw you, Saruman, as poison is drawn from a wound," Gandalf proclaimed. He pointed his staff and Théoden was thrown back against the back of the throne.

I winced. Ouch. That looked painful.

The king's body writhed and twisted, trying to get away from the light and purity which was Gandalf the White's power.

Hearing footsteps behind me I looked around to see Éowyn racing into the hall with a fearful look on her face. Seeing her uncle in pain she rushed forward to help him but was held back by Aragorn's hand on her arm.

"Wait," he ordered.

I stepped up to her and took her other arm. The woman glanced at me in shock and when she saw my eyes she stared.

"Gandalf knows what he's doing," I assured her.

She continued to stare at my eyes. I shifted uncomfortably.

"Can you not do that?" I asked quietly. "It really disturbs me."

"Your eyes are disturbing in themselves," she said boldly before turning her attention back to the king. I was surprised – she was openly revealing her opinion. I smiled.

I think I was going to like this lady.

"If I go, Théoden dies!"

I gasped as the wave of power washed over me at the sound of the evil Wizard speaking through the king. "Oh, Hell. I hate Saruman," I muttered.

"Víra…" Legolas said quietly.

"He won't die!" I shouted angrily, ignoring the Elf. "I'm not going to let you kill –" I was cut off as an invisible hand of ice grasped my throat. I choked.

"The girl will die also!" Théoden hissed Saruman's words.

My limp hands dropped Éowyn's arm as I was lifted slowly into the air. I couldn't speak, couldn't do anything to defend myself. I was dimly aware of Legolas coming towards me and Gandalf's cry of warning.

"Do not touch her!" he called without looking around. "At this moment she has enough darkness coursing through her body and veins to drain the life force of everyone in Edoras!"

Again, I was dimly aware of the people closest to me backing away hastily.

Thanks guys, I appreciate your support.

"You did not kill me…" Gandalf informed Saruman firmly. "And you will not kill them!"

Théoden was snarling for breath as he hissed, "Rohan is _mine_!"

_Yeah right!_ I thought as my vision began to blur.

Gandalf thrust his staff forward and Théoden was flung back again.

"Be gone!" the Wizard whispered. The two of them struggled for a moment before Théoden suddenly leapt forward, snarling. Gandalf's staff hit the king on the head and he was thrown back to slump in his seat. In my mind's eye I saw Saruman sprawled on the floor before the pressure on my throat was released and I fell to the floor myself, coughing and gasping for breath.

"You may go to her now, Legolas," Gandalf said, sighing with relief as Éowyn tore from Aragorn's grip and rushed to catch her uncle as he toppled from his throne.

I felt myself being picked up in strong arms and saw the Elf's face looking down at me with concern. To my horror I felt myself blushing furiously.

"_Melda._ Are you all right? Are you well? He did not hurt you?" The Elf's words were tumbling over one another and I looked up at him in astonishment.

"He _did_ hurt me," I coughed. "Being strangled is not an experience I want to have ever again. Stupid Saruman."

"I realize he harmed you that way. I was meaning other ways…" the Elf trailed off.

"My darkness?" I asked. He nodded. "He didn't have enough time."

"Thank the Valar."

He was silent for a few moments before I coughed politely.

"Uh…Elfy?"

"Yes?"

"You can put me down now."

"My apologies," he said softly as he set me on my feet. I tried to take a step away from him but my legs wouldn't hold my weight and I grabbed out at his arm to steady myself.

"Someone's having trouble," Aragorn joked. I glared at him and pushed away Legolas' supporting hold.

"Shut up," I muttered to him before turning towards the Elf. "I'll manage, Legolas. Thanks."

"As you wish."

"And stop saying that."

"As you wish."

I sighed and stumbled over to where Éowyn was standing before the newly revitalised Théoden King.

"I know your face…" he whispered in an equally renewed voice. "…Éowyn…Éowyn…"

The Wizard stepped forward making me wobble forward also – I'd taken hold of his sleeve to keep me from falling.

"Gandalf?" the king said wonderingly.

"Breathe the free air again, my friend," was Gandalf's reply. I shyly peeked out from behind his flowing white robes. When the king looked at me I backed away hastily with my eyes downcast. I didn't need another person calling me a demon in disguise – least of all the king.

Standing, Théoden cast his gaze over the people in his Hall. "Dark have been my dreams of late," he said slowly, looking at his hands which trembled with weakness.

"Your fingers would remember their old strength better if they grasped your sword," Gandalf advised.

"Yes…" the king said decisively. "Háma –"

"There is no need to call your men, Théoden King," Gandalf told him. "For there is a lady here who can retrieve it more easily then they. Víralairë?"

I stepped forward quietly, still with my eyes on my feet.

"This girl-Elf?" the man said scornfully. "She would have no hope of finding my sword which has long been locked away."

My dark lightning crackled in anger as I looked up and glared into the king's eyes. I felt grim satisfaction at the shocked look which registered on his face.

Gandalf placed his hand on my shoulder. "Be assured, Théoden, she means neither you nor Rohan harm. She is but a little…unstable. A wildcat, if you may. I shall explain later." He nodded to me and I held out my arm, fingers stretched wide.

"_Ni yalai tarmacil, Herugrim_ (I summon the sword, Herugrim)," I said clearly.

There was a flash of light and a rush of wind. The king blinked, and when he looked again his ancient sword was grasped in my fist, the hilt offered towards him. He stared, wide-eyed until one of the guardsmen took Herugrim gently from my hand and offered it himself to the king.

Only then did Théoden risk touching it.

Shows how trustworthy he was, doesn't it?

He gazed in wonder at his shiny sword, seemingly as if he was remembering something. There was a respectful silence in the room which I interrupted by muttering, "Big deal – it's a _sword_," which caused Aragorn to nudge me warningly with his elbow.

"Thank you, Elf, for bringing this blade to me," the king whispered.

It was the only thanks I would receive from him for a long time.

"It was foolhardy to lock it away…" Glancing over at Gríma on the floor the king's eyes narrowed. "I believe it was _you_ who suggested it, Wormtongue."

The little man whimpered pathetically.

"Oh, grow up," I spat.

"Háma?" Théoden called.

"Yes, my king?" a man asked, stepping forward.

"This man's filth has defiled my halls long enough! His words shall no longer poison my rule!" the king proclaimed. "Cast him from Meduseld!"

Within a few moments, the guards had grabbed Wormtongue, dragged him to the door, unlocked it and thrown him down the steps outside. Hearing the commotion, the people of Edoras began to crowd around the base of the steps. There was mutterings and confusion but best of all, no one cared that it was Wormtongue who was groaning in pain on the stair.

As Théoden – followed by the rest of us – walked down towards Gríma, the man tried one last time to regain favour.

"I've only ever served you my lord…" he whined.

Mr. King would have none of it.

"Your leechcraft would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast!" he shouted.

"And what's wrong with that?" I muttered to no-one in particular. "Oh yeah – he's a king and kings don't do that kind of thing."

Yay! I made a rhyme!

"Send me not from your sight," Gríma pleaded.

_Okay…_ I thought. _We have a weird one who wants to face his death. Mr. King is trying to do you a favour, slimy man, and let you go._

Or Théoden could be doing himself a favour by making it so he didn't have to kill Wormtongue in cold blood.

_Oh, wait – that bit was Gandalf's next job, right?_ I asked myself._ Or was it Aragorn…Man…I'm confused…_

My thoughts trailed off as the king raised his sword to rid himself of the evil man.

_Right,_ I thought decisively. _If no-one stops him I have _got_ to look away._

At the last moment, Aragorn grabbed Théoden's hands and lowered the sword himself as he shouted, "No, my lord!"

When the king had calmed himself sufficiently the Ranger repeated himself.

"No, my lord," he said softly. "Let him go. Enough blood has been spilt on his account." Assured that he would not raise his sword again, Aragorn offered his hand to Gríma who sneered and spat on it before scrambling to his feet.

"Out of my way!" Swirling around, Wormtongue pushed through the gathered crowd.

As a man in the crowd called for everyone to hail Théoden, I heard hoof beats in the distance thundering though the gates.

"I'm glad to see _him_ go," I murmured to Éowyn who was standing beside me.

"As am I." She glanced at me before nodding to her uncle. "Should you not kneel to Théoden King as they are all doing?"

I snorted. "Me? He is not my leader. I don't bow to anyone."

"Víra," Legolas said from behind me. "Even Aragorn is kneeling, but it is from respect as a leader, not a submission to that leadership."

"Where I come from bowing _is_ respectful," I admitted. "But I don't think I'll be hailing anyone here."

"And where is your home?" Éowyn asked curiously.

I frowned. "You know what? I don't think I know anymore," I said slowly. "I mean, I used to think I was where I was born but that doesn't make sense either…I was born in two places…or maybe three…"

The woman looked astonished. "How can one be born in two separate places?"

I smiled sheepishly. "It's a long story, believe me."

"It is a story I would much like to hear," she said as she turned back toward her uncle.

"Good," I said, smiling. "Does that mean we're friends?"

"Perhaps," Éowyn answered vaguely. She seemed distracted.

I followed her eyes to where the king was looking around in confusion.

"Where is he?" he was mumbling to himself. Then he turned and looked at me.

"Lady Elf!" he cried. "Can you use your power to locate my son?"

I was lost for words. Should I tell him?

"There is no need for spells, uncle," Éowyn said, stepping forward. No-one but Legolas and I saw the tears which shone in her bright eyes. She breathed in slowly.

"I shall take you to him."

**I am soooooooooooooooooo sorry about the lateness! I just got caught up doing other things and it took forever to find the right place to stop because I wanted Evil Slimy Guy to leave Edoras this chappie and… yeah. Sorry. My apologies. Gomen.**

**Anyways…this is a LONG chapter compared to last time and I hope you enjoyed it!**

**And I really need some help, if you can – can anyone tell me how long they spend in Edoras/riding to Helm's Deep/actually IN Helm's Deep? Because I think it was done differently in the movie to how it was in the book. Does anyone know?**

**And I'm too tired to figure out a good reward for reviewing so I'll offer a nice sleep with lovely dreams about Middle-Earth! Enjoy:)**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!! I LOVE IT WHEN YOU DO!!! _-hugs-_**

**Until next time! (hopefully within the next two weeks)**

**Lady ElfDragon :)**


	33. Of Tapestries and Darkness

**Bleh.**

**I am an idiot. My stupid creativity took an extended holiday and I don't even know if it's come back yet or not. I don't know. I'll try to write. I promised eight chapters by the end of my holidays and I've only done two. I feel so awful. My apologies.**

**So…six chapters to complete in the next two weeks. I really hope what creativity I have doesn't go on strike… Most likely I'll only have this chapter and one other up by the end of my holidays…**

**Much thanks goes to these wonderful people: Laer4572, Socks Are Yummy, Padme4000, Maid of Imladris, childoftheking, erowyne, Elevanya, Tari Ciryatan, Fangs (Thank you so much! I have been thinking about this story for a while – while my creativity was absent – and I basically know more or less how the story is set out from now on. I know, I know, it's taken me THIS LONG to figure it out. But I got there. Please review again – I love hearing from everyone!), DanCrazed, ponysteph15, Sorceress of the Cat, ArwenEvenstar83, MBDTA, b2 (Thanks! I'm glad you liked it…but who says Víra's relationship with Éowyn is predictable? You haven't seen anything yet… eheheheh…), Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, Zeela (Thank you! I'm thrilled you're enjoying it! It always surprises me, but I seem to be like a lot of people's friends! It's really weird…and here's the update!), The Inebriated Lion-Minion, Totschlager/Chivalrous Persimmon of Doom, Moedhaer/Queen Crazy (All I have to say. Is. Yay! I rhymed! And thanks for your review), Cherri202, Orchid's Rain, LadyKatana45/Lady of Gondor45 and daiquiri. _(bows to all)_ YOU ARE ALL AMAZING!!! THANK YOU!!!**

**And a special welcome to all the new people who reviewed last chapter for the first time!**

**Disclaimer: I'm beginning to own stuff…like money… Soon I can claim some much wished for DVDs and shinys which I probably don't deserve from being such a useless authoress and leaving my readers hanging for months. _Víra is mine so no stealing. Stealing is evil and shall not be tolerated in any way, shape or form._**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 33: Explosions! And randomness

-----

I stared in horror at the pale, still figure lying on the bed in the dark room. In front of me, the King stumbled forwards with Éowyn by his side. The lady was weeping openly and I could tell that Théoden was struggling not to break down in front of me and my companions – not to mention his own people.

_If only I'd remembered that this was going to happen!_ I thought angrily. _I could have visited him in my dreams and stopped this!_ Unconsciously I clenched my fists as the dark lightning began to increase to keep up with my emotions.

Someone placed a hand on my shoulder – I felt the well-known tingle and the crackle of my dark lightning as it made contact with the other person and looked up at the grey eyes of Legolas.

"Do not let it overwhelm you," he said firmly. "We do not want you losing control and destroying Edoras."

"Thanks, Elfy," I said sarcastically. "I'm glad someone has faith in me."

The Elf looked hurt. "I did not mean…"

"Don't worry about it," I said softy, turning back towards Éowyn and her uncle. "You're right anyway." I sighed and relaxed, forcing the darkness to disappear.

"If I may interrupt…?" Háma began hesitantly. "What are your orders, Théoden King?"

The king turned around slowly, tears glittering in his eyes. "Inform Rohan of Théodred's…of this tragedy. Wormtongue's whisperings must have held great power – or I was just a weak fool to not respond to this!" He gestured roughly in the direction of his son.

"It was no fault of yours, Théoden," Gandalf said sadly.

"Because of me my son is dead!"

"No."

I said it quietly but everyone still turned to look at me. I blushed under their gazes but remembered Legolas' hand on my shoulder and took a deep breath.

"I… It is my fault your son is…dead," I muttered. The Elf's grip on my shoulder tightened while everyone stared at me in shock.

"Víra!" Aragorn hissed, grabbing my arm. "What are you saying? How could this be true? It can't –!"

"It _can_!" I growled, tearing my limb away from his grasp. "All the Orcs and Uruk-hai and other nasty creatures of Saruman are all out looking for _me_! Boromir died because of me, and so did a king's son as well as tons of innocent people! The group that attacked him was probably just searching for the Moré-hína. For _me_."

"Child, your darkness does not –" Gandalf began.

"Darkness?" the king interrupted, studying me carefully. His intent, suddenly angry stare scared me. His eyes narrowed as he turned back to the bed and muttered bitterly, "I have had enough of darkness. Leave me! I wish to have time alone with my son."

Silently, everyone – including Éowyn – left the room. As she swept past me to lead everyone away I opened my mouth to speak; she ignored me and turned her head away.

"…Fantastic," I muttered. "Now everyone hates me."

"We do not hate you, lass," Gimli said reassuringly.

"Thanks Gimli, but right now you guys don't count. You've known me longer then they have."

"Give them time, Elda-hína," Gandalf told me. "They have suffered deep loss at the hands of treachery. Now is not the time to tell them of yourself – they will act rashly and without thought."

"Thanks for the warning, Wizard," I said angrily, glaring at him. "Too bad I've opened my big mouth and ruined it already!"

"That was the fault of no one but yourself!" Gandalf thundered, seeming to grow taller, the air around him darkening. He towered over me, causing me to shrink back.

"Scary!" I squeaked, my eyes wide. The Wizard took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

"My apologies," he murmured. "I am only worried for the heightened need for safety you have brought about by your foolishness."

"Was that an apology or an insult?" I asked innocently.

He ignored me and instead nodded towards Éowyn who had stopped and was looking back at me. Háma and the guards passed her as they went to do and organize stuff according to the king's orders.

"The she-Elf shall come with me," the lady said simply. "And someone will be along shortly to escort you to the Hall to prepare for my cousin's burial. Your weapons will be brought to you."

_Oh, so _now_ she wants to talk,_ I thought evilly. _What changed _her_ mind?_

Did I even want to know?

"Go, Víra," Legolas urged when I hesitated. "We will wait for you."

"Come, Elf," the lady said briskly. I nodded to Legolas and hurried after her.

As we reached the end of the hallway we ran into a group of guards carrying a stash of weapons. Éowyn manoeuvred around them gracefully but I stopped and smiled at one of the men who nodded and held out his bundle.

"Your weapons, lady," he said, eyeing me warily without attempting to hide his suspicion.

Everyone seemed to be suspicious of me lately.

With good reason, I suppose. Although a woman possessing weapons was more common here then it was anywhere else I admittedly still owned a lot of dangerous, sharp, pointy things. I bet they were wondering if I could actually use them all.

Ha! Pick a fight with me and they'd _see_ just how well I knew how to use my blades and bow. Then I'd set their hair on fire or zap them for doubting me just because I'm a female.

Somehow I don't think Gandalf would approve of that. And I was still scared of his stick-thing.

Ignoring the man's wondering expression I took the bundle, thanked him and walked over to Éowyn who was standing quietly, waiting. As the men left they bowed low.

Well, as low as you could while holding a huge sword and an axe and other various weapons. I'll give them credit – they tried.

"You fight?" she enquired.

"Yes, lady Éowyn," I said slowly, feeling like I was back at school on Earth. "I've had to defend myself while travelling because –" I stopped.

I couldn't tell her about Frodo and the Ring.

"…All Sauron's and Saruman's creatures want to capture you?" Éowyn asked.

"Well…yeah," I agreed. "And I couldn't burden the other guys with having to protect me all the time anyway – they had themselves to look after. Besides, fighting isn't just for men; I can't let them have all the fun."

She smiled – an expression which stood out oddly against her tear-streaked face – and nodded in acceptance. I recalled that she could fight also.

"But you'd know that," I added quickly.

"Come along, Elf," was all she replied with. "There is something you need to see."

"Yessir!" I said sharply, and saluted. She stared at me in shock and I grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, it's an old habit."

"If you say so," she murmured and began to walk down the next hall. I hurried after her.

Entering a side door at the end of the hall I followed her as she walked to the back of the empty room it led to. When I reached her she was standing in front of an old, crumbling tapestry depicting a silver horse on a green background – an exact copy of the banner I had repaired earlier.

"The flag you mended so generously has been hung once more outside our doors. It is a symbol of good faith to bring a gift to Edoras, if you are a friend of Rohan," Éowyn's voice echoed around the nearly-bare room, bouncing back to my ears and making them ring.

"Um…I just repaired it, that's –"

"When I was told a group of fighters had arrived I was not expecting to see a woman among them, let alone a she-Elf."

"Actually, I'm not exactly a –"

"Although I am not familiar with Elven customs, to discover that the she-Elf was also a warrior with fine weapons was also a surprise." Éowyn nodded at the bundle in my arms.

I grinned. "You think my weapons are –?"

"But the most astonishing of all these were the she-Elf's flame-coloured eyes and her talk of dark power." Her eyes, still red from crying, stared directly into mine.

My grin faded. "Are you ever going to let me talk or not?" I snapped, glaring at her. "If not I'll just give up."

Her gaze never left my face. "And that Elf is a _child_. Whether by her age or her personality she was a mere _child_."

My anger flared. "Hey! I am _not_ a child! I've just been reborn and stuff! Ask Gandalf, he understands it all way better then I do. Actually, a lot of people understand it way better then I do…"

The lady nodded. "I thought as much. Even knowing as little as I do about the Elf-kind I know that they would not normally let a child of their race do any of what you seem to have done unless they were… special in some way."

"And your point is?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"When the Wizard Gandalf called you by the name 'Wildcat' I thought immediately of this," she informed me.

Pulling back the old tapestry she revealed an even older one which had torn edges and scorch marks covering most of the top section. Strangely, the embroidery threads stitched on the lower half of the fabric were newer then the rest and hadn't been burnt.

"What a weird thing," I muttered, staring at the pictures woven into the material. "It looks like it's telling a story. There are lots of things… getting… destroyed…"

I trailed off as I realized exactly what I was staring at. I stood there, frozen with shock; my wide eyes following the trail of images to the last singed one in the approximate centre of the fabric. The one which ended the older threads and began the next stage in the woven story. It was an image which would forever burn in my mind, and just as terrifying as the one I'd seen in Galadriel's Mirror.

"It _is_ a story," Éowyn confirmed as I continued to stare. "_The Tale of the Wildcat_ is how its title translates into the Common Tongue."

"And…Gandalf called me that, didn't he?" I asked quietly, my eyes riveted to the tapestry.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw her nod.

"Crap."

-----

I stood solemnly outside the door to Éowyn's rooms, lost in thought. We'd left the tapestry a while ago to get ready for Théodred's passing ceremony but my mind was still haunted with the images it depicted.

Pictures of terror, madness, fear, destruction and death.

And the centre picture, the one which terrified me the most, was of a small being floating in a void of darkness; a naked girl with eyes of bottomless black and the pointed ears of an Elf.

The Moré-hína. Rohan's Wildcat.

_Me_.

Obviously. Who else could it have been?

Whoever had been told to weave my story, the story of my destructive release from Mordor into Rohan, had been brilliant with a needle and thread – the girl-Elf even _looked_ exactly like me in every single image shown.

And it wasn't as if I even looked scary either, apart from all the lightning and stuff. If you discounted the eyes, the girl's face was expressionless. Not evil, not fearful, not sympathetic, but devoid of all emotion.

I hadn't had much time, but the story I had gathered was horrifying. The new girl-weapon of the Dark Lord's had been ruthless. She hadn't used tactics, planning or deception; she appeared suddenly in one place, destroyed everything in moments and disappeared, leaving a mass of terror and destruction in her wake.

I couldn't believe that I had actually done something like that. All the pain and fear had left no room for hatred in the hearts of the Rohan people, which I was thankful for. Hatred always seems to make things last longer than they need to.

Although it _had_ been an exceptionally long time since anything of the sort had happened.

_If Saruman or Sauron get their way it's going to be happening again very, very soon,_ I thought as I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my palms and gritting my teeth _And this time I'm sure I won't be as easy to defeat. I know I've got enough darkness locked up inside me to finish off everyone in Rohan – the Wizard said so before – God knows what I'll be capable of if what Galadriel showed me in her mirror comes true. The One Ring! Its dark power is greater then anything else in Middle-Earth. If my darkness combined with it –_

"Víra! _Melda!_"

I snapped out of my thoughts. My heart nearly stopped when I saw a concerned Legolas standing in front of me with the dark lightning angrily crackling over his body, his hair being whipped around his face in a vicious wind.

"You need to regain control of the lightning!" he shouted. I realized he'd been saying that for a while now, but I hadn't heard him at all.

I nodded slowly and noticed the relieved expression on his face before I closed my eyes and tried to draw the darkness back within myself.

It didn't work.

I swore under my breath.

"What is it?" the Elf asked worriedly.

"It's not working," I said through gritted teeth. Just trying to absorb it all had somehow broken the small amount of control I'd had on it earlier. "Legolas, I need something to blast or it's going to choose something itself to destroy and I'm not ruling out the possibility of this entire city!"

"By the Valar… Lady Éowyn!" he said, turning to a figure beside him that I hadn't realized was there. "We need the knowledge of the fastest route out of Edoras! Quickly!"

Éowyn's eyes were the only things that betrayed her fear as she nodded. "This way."

Legolas grabbed my hand and I winced as I felt the built-up energy burn his elegant fingers. He ignored it and, following the lady's lead, we ran, the Elf pulling me along as I tried to keep a hold on the rapidly expanding sphere of lightning surrounding us. It already reached the floor and ceiling – without any more space to expand it would either implode, killing us, or explode, destroying a great deal of Meduseld and wiping out a ton of people in the process.

Everyone we dashed past had thrown themselves against the walls to get out of our way and many were looking petrified, their eyes wide with fear.

I wish they'd stop looking at me like that! It's just a ton of static electricity until it goes BOOM!

Okay, I admit they had good reason to be afraid.

Finally we reached a back entrance to the Golden Halls, and only then did someone briefly try to stop us. It was the guard stationed outside the door Éowyn had chosen.

"What are you –?" the man began, speaking to Éowyn.

"_Move!_" I shrieked, terrified that my power would melt or vaporize him or something else drastic if he delayed us for too long.

The guard turned to me and froze for an instant before nearly tripping over his feet in his haste to remove himself from anywhere near where I was.

_Idiot,_ I thought in relief.

Up ahead, Éowyn had stopped and was pointing to a small gate in the wall which surrounded Edoras. The lady was shouting to Legolas who called back to her. I was concentrating too hard on containing the dark energy to comprehend what they were saying. By now the sphere of lightning had expanded the width of the road we were racing down, tearing at the earth behind us and leaving an uneven, rocky ground.

"Hurry!" I panted, trying to keep my feet running at the pace the Elf was setting. My vision was starting to blur and I knew that the amount of power I was releasing would soon knock me unconscious, leaving the energy to do whatever it wished to Edoras.

Which was why we were running. I always have to explain the obvious, don't I?

Anyway, as Legolas dragged me through the gate I stumbled – only his grip on my hand kept me from falling. I could only imagine the pain from the burn I had caused him.

_I'm going to cause him a lot more pain if I don't get away from him,_ I thought with gritted teeth as I heard the thick stone wall behind me crack suddenly.

"Legolas!" I shouted, tugging at my hand to try and free it. "Let me go! I'll hurt you if you stay here!"

The Elf ignored me.

"Legolas!"

His grip only tightened. I felt the anger of the dark take over and I glared at him in frustration.

_Fine,_ the darkness inside me thought nastily. _Let him die._

And then he stopped running. My clouded vision judged us to be far enough away from the city that I wouldn't kill anyone.

Hopefully. If only the damn Elf would leave me.

The lightning hummed in the air around me; each time I drew a breath my consciousness slipped a little further from my grasp. My knees collapsed and I knelt in the dust, supported only by the Elf's hand.

It was now or never.

"Get…" I swallowed and tried again. "Get away from me…Legolas…"

"Are you sure you will be safe?"

"As safe as I'll ever be," I muttered, smiling bitterly. "Now go!"

The Elf nodded, dropped my hand and ran.

I fought to stay in control as my limp arms dropped to my sides and I flopped to the ground. I had to give him enough time to get away, to be safe.

_Why should I?_ A voice inside my mind sneered. _In truth I really just want to destroy him… destroy them all…to taste the true power of darkness._

_Oh shut up,_ I snapped back at myself. _As if I'd listen to the evil voices of my dark third. Idiot._

Yeah. I'm the one who talks to voices inside my head and I'm calling myself an idiot? _I'm_ the idiot.

…Woah. That even confused _me_.

I must be losing it. Time to get rid of the stupid built-up energy.

I let what was left of my focus fade and relaxed the grip on my power.

Around me the world exploded with darkness and lightning and I smiled as I closed my eyes, letting the darkness flood though my mind, body and heart. I wasn't aware of anything but the evil power coursing though my veins. The only thing I could do was let the energy exhaust itself and gradually, I felt it fading.

And that was that.

After the energy had dimmed into the usual crackling of dark stuff over my hands I rolled over onto my back and looked at the sky.

It had clouds. I liked clouds. They always look all soft and fluffy and warm and…

I think I'll shut up now.

"Víra!"

"Lass!"

I dragged my eyes away from the nice, peaceful sky and turned my head towards the group which was running across the singed circle of grass and rocks and stuff and heading towards me.

Well…Aragorn and Legolas were running. Gimli was just…um…

Let's just say that Dwarfs would not win any awards for elegant trotting.

When they reached me the Ranger and the Elf immediately grabbed my arms and lifted me to my feet. Gimli grinned up at me through his beard.

"That was quite a show, lass!" His expression switched from excited to worried. "Are you well?"

"Apart from being hardly able to stand up and covered in black soot and in great need of a bath as usual…yeah, I'm fine," I said, smiling at him. "By the way…"

I wondered if it would be a good idea to tell them about the tapestry. Glancing at what was left of the ground surrounding me it wasn't too difficult to make up my mind.

Ah, no. _Not_ a good idea.

"How come you just appeared randomly when my darkness went out of control?" I asked Legolas as we began to walk slowly back to the city. I tried not to pay any attention to anything around me except my three companions. I was afraid of what I might do if I saw even the slightest bit of damage done other than toasted grass.

"I _am_ an Elf, Víra," Legolas said, not looking at me. "The sound of your dark lightning is faint but with an Elf's hearing it is detectable. I heard the sound increase in volume and knew something was amiss."

"Aww… thanks for keeping an eye on me Elfy!" I said brightly.

"Nonsense," he said, pretending to be offended. "My Elven eyes have great sight but they cannot see through walls."

He still wouldn't look at me.

What the hell was with him?

"I guess so," I agreed. "Then thanks for keeping an ear out for me."

The Elf smiled slightly. "You are welcome."

"Ah…" Gimli exhaled. "Love is such a sweet thing."

I froze. Beside me, Legolas also stopped walking which forced Aragorn to as well.

_That was a random comment, Dwarf,_ I thought, then narrowed my eyes. _Surely he couldn't be talking about…_

"That it is," Aragorn said to the Dwarf, nodding. "Even though the two involved cannot seem to realize what we two can see clearly, Master Gimli… Excuse me, Víra, was that an attempt to stamp on my foot?"

"Yes," I growled.

"It was pathetic."

"Shut up."

"As you wish."

"Argh! Don't _you_ start that too!" I cried. "Legolas does it all the time and it's getting on my nerves!"

"As you wish."

"Hell," I grumbled. "I give up."

We began to walk again, with Legolas being strangely quiet.

"Why do you assume that Gimli and I were referring to _you_, Víra?" the Ranger asked.

_Damn,_ I thought. _He's got me there._

"Who says that's what I was thinking? Why would I think that?" I asked innocently. "Who else could you be referring to?"

Aragorn smirked.

And said nothing.

I glared at him for the rest of the short walk back to Edoras.

"Fine," I muttered after my eyes got tired of glaring. I sighed. "I _am_ glad that everything turned out okay. I didn't make anything explode at least –"

The Elf cleared his throat, interrupting me. "It would seem you are mistaken in that last statement."

Aha! He said something! Yay!

"What?" I asked him, as we reached the wall around Edoras. "There's no screaming or anything so I didn't kill anyone…"

I stopped.

"Oh, damn."

I stared at the wall. Edoras' people were beginning to gather around the gate, muttering to each other and staring at the odd little group which was the approaching us.

At least…they were gathering around what was _left_ of the gate.

Which wasn't much. A few bits of charcoal maybe.

"Uh… did I do this?" I asked stupidly.

There was a hole. A great, bit, gigantic hole busted into the thick wall like it was nothing more than a piece of wet paper.

Which to my darkness, I suppose it _was._

So much for not freaking out the people of Rohan.

**YAY! It is finished! I apologize once again for the lateness and the overall crappy-ness of this chapter. Too much dark stuff in the first bit so I joked around for the last bit. Not a very good balance but it had to happen somewhere.**

**Now…a great thank you to the people who read it all and if you review I shall…I shall… um… GIVE YOU CHARACTER-SHAPED COOKIES!!! We likes cookies. They are yum! Which cookie shall YOU choose? DUN DUN DUUUN!!!**

…**Anyways, sorry for being late and I WILL have the next chapter up in about a week even if it KILLS ME! I feel so bad for not updating on time…**

**Please review!**

**Lady ElfDragon :)**


	34. Jealousy and a new friend

**Okay! I must have evil bad luck or something…nothing ever turns out right when I promise…dammit. My sincerest apologies for the late chapter…AGAIN. Grrr…evilevilevil… My computer kind of… died. And then I got a new one and it didn't want to work properly. Then I finally got it to work and my internet and Anti-virus thingos didn't work. Then finally when it was all fixed I WAS TOO DAMN BUSY TO WRITE! Gomen.**

**I blame school. Evil school.**

**Much thanks and cookies to: Elevanya, The Inebriated Lion-minion, childoftheking, Elven Bunny and Butterfly Lion, Padme4000, ArwenEvenstar83, Laer4572, DanCrazed, Queen Crazy (…you are weird. In a good way though. _–gives special lightning cookie–_ be careful it doesn't zap you! Thanks for the review!), Cryptic Sarcasm, Tari Ciryatan, katie (please don't hold me to my word. I'm not very reliable – as you can probably tell from the late update. Sorry about that. Thank you for the review!), Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, b2 (Thanks for the review and yup. The Moré-hína was as naked as the day she was born. She had the appearance of a five-year-old, though, and she was kinda covered in swirling darkness. Basically a mindless little innocent kid who didn't know any better but had the power to destroy the world. And I agree! Vira needs to get rid of evilness. She will! I deem it so! _–brushes dust off poetic licence–_ I KNEW this thing would come in handy one day!), me (YES! EXPLODING THINGS! Víra is good as making things explode! I love explosions too – they are SHINY! Thank you so much for your review and I hope you find the time to review again!), Black Amber, acidtearz (Your congrats follow…), Ace (Thank you for the review! YAY! You love my stuff! I'm ever so grateful! THANKS!!!), jennfire and Ainigma. YOU ARE WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL PEOPLE! I LOVE YOU!**

**And a big thank you and extra cookie goes to acidtearz for giving me my 600th review! YAY! I NEVER thought the review count would get this high… THANKS TO ALL!!!**

**ÉOWYN IS TWENTY-FOUR! Mwaha! Sorry…that was random.**

**Disclaimer: _Lord of the Rings is not mine right now and I don't think it ever will be, unfortunately. VÍRA IS ME! I own me! And stealing is evil! The lyrics are from the song 'Whisper' by Evanescence. I can sometimes sing like Amy Lee but that doesn't mean I own their songs…_**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 34: Ghosts, cranky kings and sadness

-----

_This truth drives me _

_Into madness _

_I know I can stop the pain _

_If I will it all away _

_If I will it all away… _

-----

As I was half-walked, half-carried through what was left of the wall I started to feel really, really bad.

And it wasn't from the huge surge of darkness, either.

Well, that was partly it. But not really.

It was the citizens of Edoras.

They drew back away from us like we were evil, mean, demon-possessed people who would snap at any moment and blow things up randomly. They were scared. Terrified of me and my darkness and what I was capable of.

I felt sick.

Beside me, Aragorn and Legolas were keeping determinedly blank faces although their eyes had darkened with insult and a trace of anger.

"Lady Elf!"

I looked up as the people in front of us parted to reveal a tousled and anxious Éowyn. Her expression was only slightly different to the ones of those around her – it portrayed worry as well as the general mask of fear.

"They…" I whispered, looking around at the people of Rohan. "You are all scared of me, aren't you?"

"We…" Éowyn began slowly then hesitated when she saw my defeated expression.

"You're afraid," I stated. "You must be – who wouldn't be? My stupid darkness always scares people. It scares _me_ so it must horrify everyone else."

The lady drew herself up tall. "We are _not_ –!"

"You _are!_" I shouted at her. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a woman standing protectively in front of two young children – a brother and sister, probably. The woman glared at me, afraid, but determined to protect the youngsters.

"Oh, _hell_…" I muttered hopelessly. "They think I'm a _monster_. They think I'd hurt _children_. On _purpose_."

"You would not do that," Legolas said quietly. "We know you would not."

"_They_ don't know that," I said bitterly. "Crap."

_I have to do _something_ to gain the trust of these people,_ I thought. _Otherwise there'll be unnecessary tension and I'll get cranky and make things explode._

Which would put me in an even worse situation.

I wrenched myself from the grip of my companions and spun around, staggering slowly back towards the rubble of the gate. The people began to mutter amongst themselves, still keeping their distance from me.

This was stupid. No one was stopping me because everyone thought I was evil and didn't want to come close. Just great.

Hmm… I wonder why nobody was attempting to kill the evil Wildcat when she was obviously very weak and helpless at the current point in time?

The dark lightning crackled over my hands. Around me I heard gasps of shock.

Oh. _That's_ why.

Fantastic.

Ha! If the mumblers and gaspers didn't believe I wasn't evil then I'd just have to prove it. My power could heal as well as hurt.

Thankfully.

And the townsfolk kept on muttering. Which didn't really help with my concentration or self-esteem, believe me.

After a few more steps my legs gave out and I was left kneeling on my hands and knees, panting with the effort of my three-metre stroll.

There was silence. With the huge amount of power I'd released before I wasn't sure how much I had left but surely…surely it would be enough to do what I wanted it to?

I stared determinedly at the ground. The lightning flickered over my hands and I glared at it angrily. It wasn't my blasted fault if stuff like this kept happening to me. It was that idiot Sauron. That guy probably _wanted_ stuff like this to happen to me.

Ha! I'd show him!

…If I managed to summon the power to make something happen.

Right. I'd give it my best shot.

"_Pána astan ar ando_ (Fix wall and gate)," I muttered to the ground.

Nothing happened.

_Oh…please let this work…_ I begged. _Please let me have enough energy left to do this…_

Still nothing.

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to focus, rethinking the Elvish words over and over.

There was a distinct absence of anything happening.

Hell.

"Work, dammit! Work!" I growled, clenching my fists, my fingers leaving little trails in the dust.

"Víra…" the Elf's soft voice spoke from behind me. "You may be too tired. It would be a miracle if you were able to call upon your power so soon."

His tone was careful, warning me not to get angry. I wasn't going to, but I wasn't about to give up either.

I frowned and thought about the wall as it had been before the explosion had torn it apart. I thought about it _hard_.

"_Melda_…" Legolas began.

"Legolas," I heard Aragorn say quietly. "Look."

My hands tingled and I froze, scared to open my eyes in case I had just imagined the sensation. Cautiously I cracked open one eyelid.

And smiled.

My fists were covered in soft orange light which began to slowly spread, pooling around me and trickling off in the general direction of where the gate had been. When the light reached the rubble it began to glow with the same warm light. In my head I fixed the memory of the gate and willed it to be like that once again.

Working slowly at first, the bricks began reforming and stacking back into place as if people were lifting and carrying them to their rightful positions. But much more quickly. Soon the progress had sped up to a blur of flying stone and mortar.

Hey! Look at me! I'm the talented and beautiful Víra! Stronger than a thousand men and considerably faster! Guaranteed to work every time…as long as you don't mind a sarcastic personality and creepy dark lightning. Hire now at the low price of nothing.

Heh. Batteries not included.

…Not that I needed any. But we wouldn't tell the customers that.

By now the wall had been completed and the metal framework of the gate was being welded together in midair. That done, the new-looking and shiny gate slotted itself into the gap in the wall and clicked shut.

That was...fun. Strangely enough. I was working and I had fun. How weird.

The light around me began to disappear and trickle towards the wall, becoming absorbed in the brickwork. When it was completely gone the stones glowed brightly for an instant, running along all the cracks and faults and sealing it completely.

Then it vanished, leaving behind a perfect masterpiece of a wall. Nice and new.

I smiled again and unsteadily got to my feet. Turning to the crowd behind me I threw my arms wide to encompass as much of the gate as I could.

"Happy now?" I asked them, grinning at their astounded expressions and open mouths. A few of them had to shake their heads to make sure they were thinking straight – even my companions were looking awed.

The pause lengthened. My arms dropped to my sides and my expectant expression fell.

Well, so much for that.

I decided to try another tactic.

"I promise I'm not going to hurt anyone or anything like that," I assured them. "Really. I just had a lot of built-up energy before. That's all."

Lots and lots of staring.

"Are you lot trying to catch bugs or something?" I asked dryly.

There was a series of snapping sounds as the crowd of people closed their mouths. A few of the children smiled up at me.

I then realized how odd I must look: a she-Elf in men's clothes grinning inanely and covered in black dust. I turned to Legolas.

"I look like an idiot, don't I?"

The Elf just smiled, shaking his head, while all the residents of Edoras still stared at me in a state of extreme shock.

"Well, now that that's over…" I began to say slowly. I tried taking a step forward and fell over when my legs refused to support my weight.

"Great," I huffed into the dirt. "A little help, please?"

I felt hands grab my arms and was hoisted to my feet by the Ranger and the Elf. I smiled gratefully.

"As well as having the appearance of an idiot you now feel like one," Aragorn muttered into my ear as we began walking again. "Congratulations."

"At least I'm too clumsy to be considered a danger anymore!" I exclaimed happily.

"Your clumsiness _is_ a danger, Víra," Legolas murmured. "Especially to yourself."

My grin vanished. "Shut up."

There was silence as Éowyn and Gimli turned and made their way back to Meduseld. We followed in their wake, receiving a strange mixture of stares and half-hidden smiles.

Well, I wasn't _completely_ trusted – but it was a start.

By the time we reached the back entrance I had regained enough of my strength to walk by myself. Éowyn sent the guys off to their rooms to prepare for the funeral and began to lead me to my own room.

There was silence as we walked. No talking. No laughing. Nothing.

Have I ever mentioned that I don't like silence?

…Except when I'm trying to sleep. _Then_ I like silence. Anyone who does not like the silence and tries to rectify the situation gets glared at and possibly zapped.

_I wonder if Éowyn's still scared?_ I thought. I looked at her expression and stared. "Uh…Éowyn?"

The lady started and looked around like she'd seen a ghost.

"Um…" I said intelligently. "What's with the puzzled-yet-fearful-yet-curious expression you were wearing before?"

"I was…" she began slowly, then checked herself before beginning more confidently. "I was trying to think of something to say to you."

"You just said something."

"…I know."

She stopped walking.

After backtracking a few steps – and also waving my arms around like a windmill to keep my balance (the grace of the Elves strikes again) – I stopped beside her.

"So…what's on your mind?" I asked her.

There was a pause.

"Nothing."

"Okay," I said agreeably, deciding to let the matter drop. "Let's keep walking."

We did so.

In silence.

Stupid silence.

Finally we reached a hallway I vaguely recognised as the one I had been standing in when my lightning had decided to go all freaky and uncontrollable. In other words, it was the one which also led to Éowyn's rooms.

"You have been assigned the rooms adjacent to my own, Elf," the lady said as we approached a closed door. "I hope they are to your liking. The Elves are not common guests of ours."

"Believe me, after sleeping in snow, dirt and rain for as long as I have, _anything_ you offer would be to my liking," I assured her.

Éowyn inclined her head. "You are a strange individual. I was expecting a lady Elf to be more…" she trailed off, unable to think of the right word.

"Elf-like?" I offered, grinning. "Well, your tapestry didn't show it but I'm not really an Elf. Not exactly."

"Then what _are_ you?"

"The Elda-hína, the Moré-hína and the Wildcat. A danger to myself, according to an Elf. A fool, according to a Wizard. A weapon, according to evil things. A friend, according to a surprising amount of people. An insane girl from another world, according to myself. And someone who would _really_ like a bath before having to explain everything she just said."

My companion smiled slightly. "I see. I shall wait."

-----

After some lovely warm water, a ruthless scrub and a happy reunion with the effectiveness of soap, I was given a fresh set of clothes to wear to Théodred's passing ceremony. I was very thankful for the donation as the rest of my clothes were either rags or very quickly becoming so. The dress given to me was simple and black with silver cord to bind the sleeves and tie around my waist. I wasn't too happy with the colour, given that black was the shade of darkness and death and…

My dark lightning crackled ominously.

Yes. That too.

Evil black stuff. I seriously can't believe I live with a third of darkness and still don't like the colour black much.

…Night-time was okay though. I could deal with that.

And now back to trying not to complain about clothes. And failing miserably.

"Ah, it fits you. I chose well."

I spun around to glare at Éowyn. "Don't you knock?"

The lady was also dressed in mourning clothes, although they were a lot more elaborate than my simple black dress. For good reason, I guess. She _was_ she niece of a king.

"Should I need to?" she retorted.

"Yes!"

"And why is that?" the lady asked crisply. "If it has not yet been brought to your attention, my uncle happens to own the very room you are in! Not to mention we are offering you this room so you do not have to share quarters close to the other men!"

"Other men?" I asked incredulously. "You mean Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli? What's so wrong with having rooms near them? Why are we arguing anyway? I'm confused!"

I slumped down onto the bed beside where I had been standing and sighed. I _really_ needed to work on my people skills.

"I also do not know why we argue," Éowyn admitted.

I looked up at her and frowned. I was suddenly feeling an intense sadness mixed with longing and jealously…emotions that weren't my own.

Oh, great. It was that feeling-radar thingo again, this time for Éowyn. I could understand the sadness and the longing, but the jealously? Who did she have to be jealous of?

"What are you thinking of, Víra, that it brings a frown to your face?"

"Don't worry about it," I assured her hastily. _It wouldn't be good to go prying into people's emotions like this…I thought _that_ particular ability had vanished along with Frodo and the Ring…_

Hmm. Obviously not.

That reminded me – there was something I had to do. Hopefully I wouldn't forget.

"Éowyn, this is going to sound strange but…" I trailed off and bit my lip as I felt the burn of her jealousy arise again. "Um…could you please tell me to dream tonight?"

The feeling faded – inwardly I sighed with relief.

"Dream?" she asked, astonished. "What manner of request is that?"

"A weird one. But a valid one nonetheless. Please remind me?"

"If you insist –"

A knock at the door interrupted her and she turned away from me to glance at the slightly out-of-breath messenger who had arrived. I stood quickly and straightened out my evil black dress.

"Lady Éowyn, Lady Elf," the man greeted us. "Théoden King wishes to inform you that the preparations for Lord Théodred's passing ceremony are complete and everyone has assembled."

The lady nodded. "Thank you. We shall be there shortly."

The messenger left and she turned to me with her eyes misted with tears. Sighing deeply she beckoned to me.

"Shall we go, Elf? To the final farewell allowed by me and my people?" she asked quietly, turning to lead me to the place the ceremony would begin.

I grabbed my weapons from the bed beside me and silently followed her.

_I know it's not rational to think so but…I still blame myself for your cousin's death…so does Théoden._

I frowned again, staring at the lady's back as we walked.

_And, if I'm not wrong…I think you blame me too…_

_I'm sorry._

-----

I stood outside the doors of Meduseld with my companions, glaring at the stone floor. Éowyn had left earlier to take her required place near the open tomb. Beside me, Legolas was looking refreshed but solemn, which was much more than I was managing to accomplish.

"Wearing weapons with a dress has _not_ been one of my wiser ideas," I muttered, scowling. "In fact, simply wearing a dress was a bad idea. Now I know why guys don't wear the things."

I picked at the black material and squirmed uncomfortably. I had become so accustomed to wearing guy's clothes that a dress felt really _weird_. Especially considering the fact that I was supposed to carry my weapons to honour Théodred as a warrior. Unfortunately, I had quite a few weapons to carry and doing so while wearing a dress wasn't the most comfortable of situations.

"You were given those clothes by Lady Éowyn, correct? You should not complain," the Elf scolded.

"I know," I sighed.

"And you are only required to carry one weapon," Legolas added smoothly.

"…and the reason you didn't tell me this sooner was…?"

"You did not ask."

"Did I have to?"

The Elf sighed. "Hand your daggers, knives and their sheaths over to a guard. He will put them in a safe place for the duration of the ceremony," he told me. "But do so quickly – it is about to begin."

"Okay… Anyone willing to –?" I was cut off by a guard stepping up to me and bowing.

"Lady Elf, if it pleases you, I will relieve you of your burden."

I stared at the person in front of me. This guy…he didn't look much older than me! Why was _he_ a guard? Was he special or something? Did he have fantastic fighting ability or something?

I resisted the urge to poke him like some exotic zoo animal.

"Um…" the guard trailed off, looking uncomfortable. "If I may take your weapons?"

"Oh. Sure. Here," I offered him an armful of everything except my bow and smiled gratefully. He took the bundle, nodded, and walked off into the crowd.

"I hope he doesn't steal them," I growled under my breath.

"The Rohan people pride themselves on honour. He is trustworthy," Legolas assured me.

"He'd better be," I told him. "Uh, Elfy? He looked really young…is he –?"

"He is older than you and you fight well," the Elf answered, guessing what I was about to ask. "He has more than likely been training for many more years than yourself."

"I guess…it's still weird – all those guys who attacked us while Wormtongue was still here were heaps older than me, though."

I watched in surprise as the Elf shook his head, smiling. "The guard who took your weapons was in fact a member of that group. He was also the man who called you an Elf disguised as a demon, if I remember correctly."

"_That_ guy!?" I exclaimed, narrowing my eyes. "Ooh is he going to get a piece of my mind when I see him again! Evil strangler-guy!"

"He was only acting under orders from his Lord. Now hush," Legolas ordered quietly. "Théoden is speaking."

We stood in silence with our heads bowed, listening to the supposedly heart-wrenching speech Rohan's King was giving. Unfortunately, the speech was mostly in the ancient language of the Rohirrim and I didn't understand much. In fact, if it wasn't for the solemnity of the occasion, I might've muttered something about rambling in gibberish. But that would be mean.

So instead I thought about what he was possibly talking about: Théodred's mighty victories; how he was a lovely son, cousin, leader and all that; how he would never be forgotten…

Abruptly, we were moving. As guests – and warriors ourselves – my companions and I were supposed to honour the King's son by following his body as it was carried through Edoras to the graveyard beyond the wall. Throughout the walk I watched my feet and made them follow Legolas and Gandalf through the dust. Everyone was looking sad and genuinely feeling depressed as well – my evil emotion-sensing managed to pick up the overwhelming sadness and add it to my own, resulting in a random burst of tears from my eyes as well as the occasional sob.

Stop being so sad people! GRAH! You're making me sad too!

My tear-clouded eyes blinding me, I stumbled into someone from behind.

Oh. We'd stopped.

Realizing it was Legolas (by smell or something. Elves have a nice scent...eheh...especially Elfy...I did _not_ just say that) I had unintentionally tried to bowl over, I hastily wiped my eyes and mumbled a near-inaudible 'sorry'.

We stood and watched as Théoden's body was slowly carried towards the stone tomb buried in a mound of earth. From where I was standing I couldn't see much else and could only listen as Lady Éowyn began the haunting death-chant. Once again, I had to concentrate hard on my boots to keep from being swept up in the waves of emotion her words were invoking.

I've really got to learn how to control this emotion-reading thing. It's getting on my nerves.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't trying to be disrespectful or anything like that but drowning in sadness is _not_ what I'd call an ideal pastime.

…Unless you were Sauron. Although, I wouldn't put it past that sadist to enjoy drowning in other people's pain and suffering.

Hell. Is that evil Lord evil or what?

…Never mind.

I vaguely noticed the shuffling of the black mass around me that indicated the movement of the crowd which in turn meant the completion of the ceremony. I shrugged off Legolas' hand on my shoulder and ignored him when he told me it was time to return to Meduseld and leave the King alone with his son.

I looked up into the Elf's concerned grey eyes saying, "Not just yet. I have to ask Gandalf something and he's staying behind."

"Can it not wait?"

"No."

Legolas hesitated. Noticing my determined expression he gave up.

"Then please do not do anything you will regret," he warned.

I watched him suspiciously as he made his way back up to the gates of Edoras. I swear that guy is always thinking I'll do something idiotic and dangerous if I'm left without him for five seconds. Like running off to assassinate Sauron. Either that or he's fallen madly in love with me and is constantly concerned for my well-being and wishes to always be at my side, showering me with gifts of shiny things and swearing to forever protect me.

…Ha! And I'm a short hairy thing with an obsession for sharp things and gold hair!

Okay, that was a mean joke. Sorry Gimli.

In any case, I think I'll go with the 'he thinks I'm an idiot' option. The second choice would be wonderful but if it was true then I'd be Gimli, and I _know_ I'm not Gimli.

See? No beard! Ha!

"Víralairë?" I heard Gandalf ask. "Why did you remain behind?"

"I wanted to ask you something," I told him, biting my lip nervously. "Something about Théodred. Did he deserve to die? And Boromir…were the two of them supposed to die?"

At the mention of his son's name, Théodred looked up from where he was kneeling in front of the tomb and glared at me before turning away.

Oh joy. He hates me now. I really shouldn't have opened my big mouth and blamed myself in front of everyone.

Gandalf was looking at me curiously, peering at me from under his eyebrows like a hawk wondering if it was or wasn't going to tell its prey that it was about to be eaten.

I did _not_ like that expression.

Seeing as the thinking Wizard wasn't going to be moving any time soon I walked over to him and poked at his shiny staff.

"Will you let me hold this magic stick-thing yet?" I asked innocently.

I was under the impression that if he'd let me hold his Wizard's staff I wouldn't be so scared of it anymore.

"No."

"Aww."

"And in all seriousness, child, do you believe there is an answer to those questions about Lords Boromir and Théoden?"

"I was hoping so," I grumbled, kicking at a few rocks on the ground with my boots. "But there's most likely no answer. And anyway, your answers would just be cryptic, as usual. But I just want to know…with my power…could I…?"

"Bring back the dead?" a voice muttered bitterly from behind me. I turned around to see the King looking at me intently. "No mortal or Elf should have the ability to do such a thing."

"It would be a miracle," Gandalf agreed. "Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them?"

I paused, thinking about his words. "You said that to Frodo once, right?"

"That is correct."

"But…Gandalf…_you_ came back," I said in confusion. "After you defeated that Balrog-thing."

"I returned because I am needed. You should know this," the Wizard said wisely.

"But…Boromir! We needed him too! And he was only trying to protect us!" I shouted fiercely. "And Théodred never did anything wrong! He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time!"

"Víralairë…"

I glared at the Wizard, my dark lightning flaring up at my anger, and stomped over to where Théoden was kneeling.

"If my power is just a weapon like Saruman and Sauron keep telling everyone then that means I'm just a tool. Which means I wouldn't get angry or sad or anything! But I'm cranky now because stupid Fate has ended the lives of people who deserve to keep on living!" I stared fixatedly at the stone tomb in front of me and reached out towards it with my lightning-covered arms.

"What are you doing, Elf?" the Kind demanded.

"Trying to help," I snapped. "Be quiet!"

"What are you trying to accomplish, child?" Gandalf asked from behind me. His voice was stern but quiet. I looked back at him from over my shoulder.

"Bring back the dead," I said coldly. The dark lightning of my power was building – the air around me was filled with the invisible wind that wildly whipped my hair and clothes about my body and face.

I felt a hand on my arm and heard the Wizard's voice near my ear. "Think before you act! You do not know what effect this will have! You will be defying all the natural laws of life and death!"

"My dark third already does that," I said smoothly. "_I _do that just by existing. _Ata_ (back)!"

A huge gust of wind threw Gandalf off his feet and he landed in the dust a few paces away from where I was standing.

Ha! Now without him jabbering in my ears I could concentrate.

Focusing all my attention on the tomb in front of me I ignored the King and the Wizard and found the words which were needed.

"_Mánu entulesse, Théodred_ (Return, departed spirit)," I whispered.

Maybe not the best choice of words but hopefully they would do the job.

A pinprick of white light appeared in front of the tomb, expanding into a shining human-shaped figure of the man who had recently been sealed up inside. Standing tall, Théodred strode over to his father who was looking up at his son with a mixed expression of joy and sadness on his face.

"Son…Théodred…" the king murmured. His son embraced him, whispering softly.

I was so relieved I didn't notice that my energy was quickly fading. The pair looked so happy I couldn't help but smile. I grinned back at Gandalf who, strangely enough, was looking at Théoden and shaking his head.

My smile faded as I realized that Théodred left no imprint in the grass where he stood.

And I could see right through him.

The ghost turned towards me and smiled sadly.

_Thank you for allowing me to see my father one last time before his death,_ the words whispered into my mind. _But you, Wildcat, are my only link to this world, and summoning a gate for me is draining your strength._

I noticed I was shaking uncontrollably, struggling to stand. _But – _I protested. _Théoden will –_

_My father will forgive you, in time – time which you will not have if you do not let me go. Everything has a price. The Wildcat has the ability to create from nothing and open doors to the unreachable but it is costly. The energy you lose balances the difficulty of the task. To restore life, one has to –_

…_Give life,_ I finished for him. _The price is my life for yours._

_Yes. And I will not allow you to pay it. Release me, Wildcat._

I swallowed and nodded slowly. My life wasn't exactly a price I was completely willing to pay either.

…But I wonder if Middle-Earth would be better off without me…?

No! Evil thoughts!

_Farewell, Wildcat. Farewell, Father,_ Théodred said to us, smiling one last time upon the realm of mortals.

"No! Théoden! Do not leave me!" the king began to wail.

"_Úlaire este_ (ghost, rest)," I muttered sadly.

"No!" Théoden cried as the spectre began to fade.

_Farewell…_

As the ethereal light disappeared completely a small amount of energy returned to me – enough that I was able to walk over to Théoden without falling on my face.

That was…weird.

"Well, I tried," I told the king. As he turned towards me I was struck by the pain in his eyes.

"What trickery is this?" he hissed, much to my shock. "My son returned to me only to vanish! Why did you tempt me with such lies?"

I hastily took a step back, my eyes wide. "W-What are you talking about? Théodred _was_ here…"

"Why did he not stay? Why did you not keep him here by my side?" Théoden demanded.

"I'm sorry! I couldn't bring him back to you because I would've had to die! And he wouldn't let me!" I insisted.

The man's expression was nearly glowing with regret and pain. He stood and took a few angry steps towards me before Gandalf appeared in between us.

"Do not take your rage out on a child, Wildcat or no. She did all she was able," the Wizard muttered to him. "I suggest that you take time here to calm yourself. Víralairë, return to Meduseld."

I nodded and turned hastily to the King who was still glaring at me.

"I'm sorry. I tried. Really, I did. Please forgive me…"

"Víra!" Gandalf roared.

"Okay! I'm going!" I squeaked and bolted, stumbling a few times over the hem of my black dress before I balanced myself and kept running.

I reached the walls of Edoras panting and out of breath. The guards recognized me and allowed me to pass and I thanked them before racing past townsfolk and animals alike to reach the steps of the Golden Hall. There I slumped on the bottom step, placing my bow beside me with care before hanging my head in my hands.

_Hell. Crap. Damn,_ I thought. _Why in God's name did I try to do that? Now I've gone and made things worse…_

"Many of us are in mourning, but none looks as distressed at you, Lady Elf, save the King and his niece."

I jumped with fright and removed my head from my arms to look up in surprise. I found myself staring at the young guard who I had given my other weapons to earlier.

"Don't be an idiot," I told him. "Plenty of people are more depressed than me right now."

"Perhaps you are right, my lady. May I be seated?" he asked.

"Whatever. Don't call me lady," I added as an afterthought.

"As you wish," the guard said as he sat down beside me with a clink of mail.

Grah! What was with Middle-Earthians and saying 'as you wish'!?

"I believe these are yours," he told me, handing me my bundle of weapons. "What should I call you if not 'lady'?"

"Víra," I said simply. "That's what everyone else calls me."

"Well then, Víra," he said pointedly. "Since you have not yet asked I shall introduce myself to you. I am Willelm, son of Callelm. Sorry for nearly strangling you earlier."

What the…? Strangle…oh.

"Meh." I said, shrugging my shoulders. "I could've zapped you, but Legolas saved me and then I put you to sleep. No big deal."

Right. And what exactly happened to 'giving the guy a piece of my mind'?

"So it is true," Willelm, son of Calelm said, smiling slightly. "You are different."

"Different…how?" I asked suspiciously.

"You do not speak or act the way women of Rohan or Gondor do."

"That's understandable, Willelm, son of Callelm… Hell, that's a mouthful," I muttered. "Can I call you Will?"

"You may call me what you wish."

I grinned evilly. "Okay then! I shall call you Blondie!"

"…I think I preferred Will," the young man laughed.

"Ha! Okay then. Will it is!" I grinned. "I still reckon Blondie suits you though."

It was true – the guy had awesome blonde hair and bright blue eyes…hmm…my younger brother had eyes like his… Heh…I wonder what Harry would say if he saw my orange eyes…

Right. Not thinking about that. Last time I thought of Harry my mind was invaded by Sauron. I wasn't going to let that happen again.

"Víra!"

I was startled out of my thoughts by the Elf's voice calling my name. I stood quickly and turned to face the doors of Meduseld. Legolas was walking gracefully towards us with an unreadable expression.

"I see you found your weapons," the Elf noted as he gracefully walked down the steps toward us. Beside me, Will had stood and bowed slightly to the approaching figure. Legolas returned the bow before turning to me.

"My apologies for interrupting you, but Lady Éowyn requests your presence," he informed me.

"And you are being extremely formal, why exactly?" I asked the Elf. He ignored me and instead looked pointedly at the young guard beside me.

"I need to return to my duties, Víra," Will said slowly. "I hope we can meet again – it's not everyday one is allowed to speak with a beautiful Elf!"

He bowed slightly and left. To my horror I felt my cheeks flame at his words and tried to shake the feeling that Legolas was watching me closely.

"Shall we go?" he asked smoothly.

"Okay."

As he led me through the passages of Meduseld to find Éowyn I thought over the last few minutes with confusion.

I loved Legolas, I knew that. I could even admit it to myself. But…I was somehow drawn to Will as well. The young guard was too charming for his own good, not to mention he was extremely easy to talk to.

He was also _really_ good-looking.

_But that's not the point!_ I told myself, embarrassed. _The point is: why did it seem so tense back there? Those two were creating enough tension for it to be physically cut_…_or maybe that was just Legolas. Why was he acting so strangely anyway? And _why_ do I feel drawn to a guy I just met?_

I had the distinct impression that something big was about to happen and it wasn't anything to do with the upcoming battle at Helm's deep, either.

Whatever it was, I knew I was in for randomness, weird stuff and confusion.

But hey, what's new?

**WOO! FINISHED! FINALLY! YAY! JOY! SHINY! CHAPPIE! I'm not too happy with this one and I personally think I did an awful job writing this time. I'm also feeling depressed because I have an evil swimming carnival tomorrow…bleh**

**This is…five weeks late. I'm soooooooo sorry! Please don't kill me!**

…**Please?**

**I won't make excuses because I know that you don't want to hear them but I have come up with this theory: I SHOULD NOT PROMISE THINGS BECAUSE THEY NEVER SEEM TO GET DONE ON TIME!!! There! So I shall not promise an exact update time but say instead that due to evil school and after-school activities chapters will be posted when I can find the time. There is a possibility that five weeks is the maximum amount of time between updates but because I'm not gonna promise anymore because that hasn't worked I'm not going to be completely definite about this.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I was hoping to have this and the next chapter in the same post but it got too big. Sorry about that, but I had to end it here. Bonus is, YOU GOT A NEW CHARACTER!!! YAY! Will is owned by me and no attempts to steal him shall be tolerated. Remember: Víra is nasty when angered!**

**And… REVIEW PLEASE!!! I love reviews! I do I do I do I do I do! They make me happy and actually give me reason to believe that this story is not as bad as I think it is…**

**Okay enough self-degrading for this rant.**

**Reviewers shall get…uh…SOMETHING! Ask for something in your review! ;)**

**Much love and hugs from ­Lady ElfDragon**


	35. Squashed

**SO SORRY FOR THE EVIL LATENESS! BLAME THE SOCKS! Yeah…blah. Hi to all newbies and stuff! I welcome thee to the weirdness of my fic! I hope you enjoy my writings and hope it's not so bad that it gives you brain damage…because then you won't be able to review…REVIEWS ARE GOOD!**

**Much thankies go to: Cloaked In Shadows, PIRATEical ELF of Mirkwood, biach-goddess-leah, Mala mala Jong (Thanks for your review! Sorry for the long wait but here is the next chapter!), Orchid's Rain, childoftheking, mizzlanfear, Cryptic Sarcasm, erowyne, acidtearZ (I made you cookies! But you weren't here to eat them! So I ate them instead. They were yummy! Thanks for your review!), got-lotr, Arialas, Queen Crazy (GO THE SUGAR!), b2 (::salutes:: Yessir! I shall try not to overdo love triangles, sir! XD Thanks for your review! I'm glad you liked the last ending!), DanCrazed, Me (I'm glad you like my fic! And Víra, too! XD ), Black Amber, ArwenEvenstar83, Padme4000, Elevanya, Jedi X-Man Serena Kenobi, Idril of the Starlit Woods, Jeannie (Well I'm glad you're submitting a review! Thank you! XD _'melda'_ plays an important part in the story later on… and chocolate!? YAY!) mintchip74 (::salutes again:: Your wish is my command! Here is the next chapter!).**

**Disclaimer****: As per usual… **_**Seems like I don't own much…even my time doesn't really belong to myself anymore …but! I DO own Will, and Víra, and any characters that aren't owned by anyone else… They are my precious…precioussss…muwahahahahahaHA!**_** And I'm just assuming that Éowyn's rooms include a room for seeing guests in…her being really important and all…**

**Ahem. Now is fic.**

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 35: Filler! Woo!

-----

"LEGOLAS IS A BRIGHT PINK ELEPHANT ON PIPE-WEED!"

The Elf stopped abruptly. "I beg your pardon?"

I ran into him. Rubbing my nose I replied, "You are a bright pink elephant on pipe-weed."

"I heard, but I am guessing that whatever…_that_ is, it is not something I should aspire to be?"

"Not at all. But at least it got your attention."

"I see…" Legolas murmured with an unreadable expression.

The Elf had been completely ignoring me for the past…however long…and my anger had risen to the point where I'd decided to tell the world what my mind thought the Elf was at that present moment in time. But as I looked at him now I felt my annoyance begin to fade.

Stupid emotions: always around when you don't need them and never there when you want to be in the state of mind to singe people.

"Now," I began, ignoring the uncomfortable look in his eyes that always seemed to be there nowadays. "I refuse to move from this spot until you explain what happened back there."

The Elf stepped up close and raised an eyebrow at me effectively from his imposing height. "And you will enforce your statement, how?"

I allowed my lightning to crackle darkly. Legolas fell silent.

"You were saying?" I asked, smirking slightly.

"You do not need to know," he said abruptly.

"Yes I do! You were acting all weird! I want to know _why_!"

"It would only complicate the situation," the Elf told me firmly. "Now, make haste. You must not keep Lady Éowyn waiting."

"…Fine," I conceded. "But I'll get you back later, so watch your back." Nodding sharply I turned on my heel to stomp off in the opposite direction, but not before I had sensed the feeling of hurt emanating from the Elf.

What the hell was _he_ upset about? He was the one acting strangely!

"Where are you going, Víra?" I heard him call from behind me.

"To Éowyn!"

"Her rooms are this way! As are yours!"

"I know that!"

Well, not really. But _now_ I did.

"Then why are you –?"

"I'm taking the _long_ way!" I hollered over my shoulder.

Anything he said after that was missed by me: I had turned a corner.

Stone is surprisingly soundproof…for Humans, anyway.

Probably not for Elf-ears.

Upon thinking this thought I muttered something horrible about Legolas and Wargs.

Eheh… I'm so evil to the poor Elf.

Wait…'poor'? I'm supposed to be angry at him!

Stupid love and the stupid distractions it stupidly makes obvious to the stupid person who is stupid enough to fall stupidly for someone else.

Dammit. I'd already forgiven the guy.

Love…is…so…weird…

An image of a certain fair-haired person that was _not_ Elfy crept unheeded into my mind.

…NO! Argh! Evil thinking! Bad for the brain!

I forced myself not to hit my head on the wall in frustration. It would hurt.

Besides, I already had enough to deal with _without_ feeling like five hundred and sixty-three billion Dwarves were trying to find shiny things inside my skull.

…They would obviously have to be really, _really_ tiny.

My head isn't _that_ big. I hope not anyway.

-----

Finally finding the 'long way' back to my room, I flopped onto my bed and was painfully reminded that weapons are sharp and I had been carrying them. Lucky for me mine were not unsheathed or, in the case of the bow, strung and notched with an armour-piercing arrow. Sadly, I didn't want to impale myself on my own weapons and die. No, that would be a _bad_ thing.

Therefore, I removed the weapons from my arms and placed them beside my bed. They could have a detention for jabbing me in the stomach.

Not wanting to go to Éowyn just yet, I lay back and stared at the ceiling.

Suddenly, I found myself drifting off to sleep, my mind filled with weird thoughts that usually haunted my brain while dreaming. Me thoughts, Elfy thoughts, Rohan thoughts, Will thoughts…until my mind came up with the image of Will with Elf-ears running away from me as a Rohan horse.

Just for the record, being a horse isn't all that fun – having four legs is really quite _strange_…

Especially when you can't control where you're going and trip over everything in your haste to catch the Elf-Will.

Remind me never to become a horse. Or any other four-legged creature for that matter…Scratch that. Being an anime would be awesome!

At least then I'd know what I _was_.

Which would be a step up from where I was at the current point in time.

-----

"Éowyn?" I called, knocking on the side of her doorframe.

"Enter, Lady Elf."

I stepped inside and looked around stupidly until I spotted Éowyn.

"Where were you hiding that it took so long for my messenger to find you?" the lady asked sternly.

"Oh…" I began in explanation. "The Elf was annoying me so I deserted him."

Empty silence followed my words, which an unnerving sense of confusion decided to try to fill.

"I do not understand the relevance of that statement," Éowyn said at last.

"You…what? You _did_ send Legolas out to get me, right?" I asked, frowning.

"The Prince is a guest – why would I do such a thing?"

Okay, so Éowyn's messenger must've bumped into Elfy on the way and for some reason Legolas felt inclined to accept the tedious task of scouring Edoras for one Víra.

I made a mental note to ask the Princeling about that later.

Which made the number of things to ask the Elf _way_ more than I could be bothered to count.

Ha! Interrogation of the Elfy! Insert Manical Evil Laugh here.

…I am so glad Éowyn can't read minds.

"Let's not worry about that," I suggested, shrugging my shoulders. "I'm here now so… what do you want?"

I had a pretty good idea, though.

"Earlier you mentioned something that I wish explained," the lady told me directly. "Will you do so now?"

And score one goes to the Wildcat!

"Sure," I offered. "But it might take a while, depending on what you actually ask."

"I was expecting that." Éowyn gestured to two comfortable-looking chairs and a small table in the corner of the room.

Oooh! Tea parties! I _love_ tea parties!

…Note to self: do _not_ say that out loud, with or without the sarcastic tone of voice.

"Yay! Chairs!"

…Not that _that_ comment was any better.

Éowyn, lost for words, opted instead to take a seat. I mentally congratulated her on her control and etiquette.

I followed suit. Sitting, I mean. I'm not too good at the etiquette kind of thing.

"Well, you already know the story of the Wildcat…me," I began. "And all the stuff after my capture up until –"

" –Your destruction," Éowyn stated. "Rohan was informed that the Wildcat was put to death, yet here you stand."

"Sit," I corrected her. "Well, from what I can understand, The Thr…some important, powerful people sent the Wildcat's soul to another world to be reborn as a Human…also me."

"Another…world? Such as the Undying Lands of the Elves?"

"Not…exactly…" I said uncertainly. "The Undying Lands are kind of still in Middle-Earth – your world – I think… The place where I live…lived…was Earth. It exists but you can't get to it by walking or by sea…I think. I'm confusing myself…"

"Me, also," Éowyn admitted. "But please, continue. It may all become clear to me further into the tale."

"If you insist…"

Something occurred to me.

"Wait…put to death?!"

"That is what Rohan was told," the lady repeated.

"Well!" I huffed. "That's mean! And completely useless, considering the Moré-hína would've blasted them all to smithereens…wait…why didn't I do that anyway?"

"Perhaps they sealed your powers somehow?" Éowyn suggested.

"Maybe…" I answered doubtfully.

We continued talking for an hour, me rambling and trying to explain what a camera was, and Éowyn asking weird questions that I attempted to answer intelligently.

And failed miserably.

As for why I was telling her all this, I really had no idea. I suppose I felt I owed her something, because despite what everyone had said to and told me, I still blamed myself for people's deaths.

I deliberately left out my ability to 'see the future': I didn't think that telling someone that I knew who was going to die was the brightest of ideas.

And besides, knowing hadn't worked last time…

But I digress.

I left out stuff, told important stuff, and baffled myself thoroughly, although Éowyn was seeming to understand. Maybe she was just a good actor or something…

"…And basically, Galadriel sent me along to do something I haven't figured out yet…and here I am."

My life story lacks excitement.

Apart from the fighting, random evils trying to possess me, a whole lot of confusing, and socks.

Never underestimate the terrifying, evil beasts that are socks.

Seriously: they eat your feet.

…or your feet eat them.

One of those.

"Who taught you to fight? And why do they allow you to do so?" Éowyn asked, interrupting my rambling thoughts.

"Glorfindel, an Elf Lord from Rivendell, taught me. As well as Aragorn and Legolas."

I thought briefly about those lessons. Hell, they seemed like an age ago.

"As for why they taught me…I guess I need to protect myself from people who want my power."

Almost unconsciously I raised my fingers to my throat and touched the necklace resting there. It somehow gave me comfort as I felt a rising sense of jealousy.

"What is that?" my companion demanded. "You wear no other finery but that item: it must be special to you in some way. Who gave it to you?"

I looked at her, perplexed. Why was she being so bitter? Yes, my necklace was awesomely shiny and pretty but that was no reason to get cranky.

I decided to opt for the – hopefully – safer answer.

"It was Vilya's."

Éowyn frowned slightly, and I realised I'd left something out.

"Vilya. My Elf-mother," I continued hastily, nearly sighing with relief when the choking aura of jealous hatred faded.

What had all that been about?

"Why do you keep such a thing? You say you have no memory of her, and yet…" the lady trailed off as I looked at her sharply.

"It is a reminder of what I am," I told her darkly. "Whether I act Human, blow things up, or make fun of others, I am still me. I'm my mother's child, even though she never lived to see her daughter. Not that I was much of one."

Woah. Dramatise much?

I was beginning to get depressed again, so I slumped back in my seat and emptied my mind as if I was about to make my light-orb.

Surprisingly, this worked like a charm.

Then I felt the tautness in my chest that always preceded a surge of my energy.

I snapped my eyes open and focused intently on Éowyn, who was staring wide-eyed at my hands: the lightning was as thick and as dark as pitch. I could hardly see the shape of my fists through it.

Under my breath I muttered something which may or may not have involved sharp, pointy things and death.

Don't ask me how I was going to slaughter my dark third while keeping the rest of me breathing.

"Perhaps I don't need to," I muttered.

"Excuse me?" Éowyn nearly squeaked.

"Wha…? Oh, never mind."

I waved her still-curious expression away with my hand.

There was a sharp, splintering sound and the wall beside us suddenly had a jagged hole that hadn't been there three seconds ago.

The two of us stared at it in shock. Éowyn jumped to her feet.

"Uh… I can fix that," I said, standing slowly and sounding more sure of myself than I actually was. "Promise."

The darkness crackled up my arms and over my torso.

"Yeah… Éowyn?" I asked sharply.

"Ye-es?" the lady replied hesitantly. She still had her gaze fixed on the gaping crude new door in the wall.

"I need something to blast."

"O-Of course…um –"

"Víra!"

The door burst open and in tumbled – gracefully, I might add – the Elf.

Humph. How rude to interrupt this wonderful door-making session of ours!

…Not really.

"Talk about good timing," I noted. "Are we going to have to run through Edoras and scare people again?"

My dark lightning was getting stronger so I hugged myself and clamped my arms down over my fists.

I was so lucky that it didn't seem to physically harm the host body or I would be very, _very_ dead by now.

"I cleared us a route on my way here," Legolas said in answer to my question.

"Wow. Someone's organised."

A smile tugged at the Elf's mouth. He indicated the door. "Shall we?"

I stepped over to my very own, custom-made door way and jumped through. "'Kay."

Legolas shook his head, smiling slightly.

Turning quickly to the lady I told her I'd be back to fix the hole.

"Sorry about that," I added. "And don't strain your eyes too much. If they boggle anymore they're going to fall out of your head."

The lady just kept staring at the mess I'd made.

Oh look – I finally admitted it was a mess. How brave of me.

I grinned swiftly at the Elf. He gave me an expectant look and waited.

"Race you!" I yelled, and ran.

And realised what a stupid idea that was while wearing a dress.

I really needed to remember to change clothes before my next marathon session.

Oh well, can't be helped now! Elfy was catching up!

And I couldn't let him _win_ now, could I?

Unable to stop a bark of laughter escaping from my mouth I hitched up my skirts and kept on running.

And also tried not to blast extra doors in the walls around me.

-----

"Well," I sighed. "That worked."

I relaxed back in the grass not nearly as weak as the last time but still loving the look of the clouds…

And the good thing was I'd managed to control what I had to singe this time around, meaning no evil black soot to cover the parts of me that weren't black in this dress! All the damage was far, far away…somewhere beyond that little hill over there.

Oh, and there were no extra holes in huge gates for me to fix up either. Keeping a grasp on my power had been easier, thankfully.

"I did not have to run far from you this time," the Elf commented, walking up behind me. "Your control has improved already, congratulations."

"Thanks," I told him. "And hopefully I won't have to freak people out on my way back to fix Éowyn's wall."

"Speaking of going back…" Legolas offered his hand to help me up. I grasped it, but before he could heave me up I flicked my free hand at his feet.

"_Undu_ (down)," I muttered, and pulled.

And had the breath knocked out of me by a falling Elf squashing me flat.

"Ungh…" I coughed as he rolled off me. "That was _not _supposed to happen."

"My fall or where I landed?" Legolas asked, facing away from me.

I had a horrible feeling he was laughing at me silently.

No fair!

"You figure it out," I mumbled, my face reddening. Soooo embarrassing.

I had to remember that my power didn't do what it was meant to immediately after exploding.

And I _had_ to get out of this evil dress. And into something else.

Obviously.

"What was the purpose in pulling me down to land on you?" the Elf asked, sitting up and smiling at the pained look on my face.

_It'd better be back to its normal colour by now,_ I thought.

"Like I said, that wasn't supposed to happen," I grumbled. "I was trying to get you to talk to me."

"Not this again…" the Elf stood and looked away, speaking rapidly. "Do not worry about that. I was being irrational and had just run into a frantic messenger-boy looking for you. I thought you had hidden yourself from him in an attempt to avoid Lady Éowyn."

"Is _that_ all?" I asked in surprise. "So you just didn't want to admit that you were mistakenly annoyed with me?"

At a sharp nod from Legolas I burst out laughing.

"You people are all so chivalrous!" I replied to his questioning look. "I expect you to be annoyed at me nearly _all_ the time and then when you finally do get annoyed it's for the wrong reasons or reasons I don't find all that important! And then you feel bad about it! It's so weird."

"It is only normal, for us," Legolas pointed out.

"I suppose." I tried to hide another grin and held out my hand. "I promise not to make myself into a cushion for you to squash this time."

The Elf smiled and helped me to my feet. "Let us go back."

"As you wish," I said solemnly, before erupting into a fit of giggles at Legolas' raised eyebrow. "I'm just trying to see if I can be chivalrous!"

I mean, it seems as if everyone who is attempting to be courteous says that, so why can't I start there?

"I see…" the Elf said, sounding like he didn't. I grinned again.

"Race you… oh, wait," I said to myself as I froze in a running position, one leg raised in the air. "That doesn't work in dresses. Must not forget that."

"If you are quite finished…"

I turned to see Legolas shaking his head at me for the…how many times did he do that in one day? Or in one hour?

But there was no time for that now!

I was off to repair doors!

Or holes.

…or messes.

Whichever someone decided to shout angrily at me first.

Hmm. I wonder if Éowyn's eyes can still be found in their sockets?

**By the Valar! What is this? An update? A chapter? ElfDragon isn't dead? It's a miracle!**

**Ahem. Yes. ****Relatively short, but it's really only a filler-type thing. I think. Something that had to happen. Sound familiar? I'll give you a hint: Chapter 14. Useless filler but **_**hopefully**_** still entertaining. Maybe.**

**Heh. Legolas is being sneaky! MUBWAHAHAHAA!! Yeah… ::shifty eyes:: Yes and you'll never guess what I'm talking about NOW! HA! I am insane…**

**And… Edible models of characters to those who review! XD YAYS!!! Review, review, review! And maybe I'll have the confidence to update again…**


	36. Ramblings

**Uhm… Long time no write? Eheh…**

**I'm terrible I know! Leaving everyone kind of hanging for…a year…or something… But–! I have the next few chapters ready and waiting for upload. The only thing is, if I begin to write this again, and, now that I've got the time, **_**update regularly**_**, is there anyone around who'd still read it?**

**I mean, you're all slightly older and have probably changed a little or a lot – depending – and perhaps aren't as partial to my insanity as you once were.**

**But maybe you still are. After all, Víra's still nagging at my ear for me to write her story. She's even been able to make me edit all the previous chapters and fix up the things that needed it.**

**I'd love to write for you all again – the question is, will you have me?**

**Please review with your thoughts****. Or PM me. Something to let me know, if you will. A herd of rampaging pink polar bears if you think that would work best.**

**Aside from that, Víra would like to give you a little look at what you're in for regarding the next chapter…**

.oOo.

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter (Well, more of a Filler than a Chapter) 36: The past and foreboding. Translation: 'Víra Rambles'.

---

Víra here.

The walk back to Meduseld got me thinking. I'd made sure I'd run far enough so that I didn't so much as _scratch_ the walls this time. Consequently, it was a longer walk.

Makes for a nice time for recap specials, methinks.

So.

Turns out, falling off cliffs at camping grounds is a bad idea. You probably knew that, but in my case, this particular fall somehow brought me between the worlds of Earth and Middle-Earth (still not quite sure why or how that happened), and then I chose a magic doorway and ended up in the Shire. I didn't even look like myself anymore, coming out of the whole thing with ears more pointy than they should've been, higher cheekbones and unblemished skin (score!) among other things.

I was pretty damn useless for a long while, and still probably am, although I've been told that I can cheer people up when they're feeling down – great ability, that is, and although it's mentally rewarding, it doesn't pay well.

Especially if you're shouting happy things at an Orc who really doesn't have anything else on his mind but to garrotte you and move on.

Nasty things, enemies.

Anyway, I got involved with Frodo and his party, before getting myself entangled in the entire plot for various reasons and ending up in Rivendell. There, I found out that might not be who I thought I was. Everyone kept telling me I was the Elda-hína, confusing the hell out of me. I discovered that I possessed some fancy powers and general strange attributes (like orb-summoning and technicolour eyes). Then there was that weird connection I seemed to have with the Ring…

I managed to elbow my way into the Fellowship, and learn some fighting techniques for my own and others' protection. That done, we made our way to Galadriel and her Mirror, sadly losing Gandalf along the way and making everybody terribly depressed. Even my sparkly cheering-up powers didn't help.

We got to her forest, rested there for a while, peeked into her Mirror and saw scary things…oh, and Elfy, who I'd been on bad terms with the entire while, helped me learn how to use a bow. He also revealed why he'd been so cold toward me, which led into the story of the Elda-hína – Elf-child – and the Moré-hína – Dark-child – and what I was doing in Middle-Earth.

It was pretty much a gigantic mess. But hey, story of my life.

…Which it _was_.

Basically, I'd been conceived as an Elf, infested with the Dark Lord's power before I was born, thereby killing my original mother and giving birth to a naked little demonic girl-thing of evil, who raged destruction on the people in Sauron's name for a while before being banished by the Three Elven Rings to another world, being reborn as a human, sealing my powers and hopefully keeping me out of their hair forever. Simple.

Look how well that worked.

I got myself a prophecy, which sounded ominous, but I've figured by now that if it's a prophecy then I'm going to fulfil it eventually without me doing anything about it, so why worry?

After leaving Galadriel behind, with even more questions then I'd had before, Merry, Pippin and I wound up being captured by a troupe of Uruk-hai – courtesy of the Wizard Saruman having his eyes on the Ring (got that bit wrong) and the girl with the shiny powers (got that right) – and I tried to 'go against my programming' and heal Boromir, failing miserably. Frodo and Sam parted ways with the three remaining members of the Fellowship. They, in turn, vowed to track us down and save us. I know all this because of awesome precognitive ability (not) and the fact that I can manage to transport myself through my dreams…somehow. Yeah, I'm not too sure how that works either.

Eventually, they found me alone – Merry and Pippin having gone off for an Ent-discovery party – and together we found the new Gandalf.

I also came to the shocking (albeit slightly delayed) realization that I'd fallen for Legolas. Something I'd definitely have to hide from him, given the inconvenience that such feelings are when an all-out war is about to begin. Being an impulsive individual, it's rather difficult, but I'm managing. There's no use in harbouring these feelings, because I'm probably just a child to him anyway, even though I was kind of betrothed to him in my former life. Besides, I'm not even of his race anymore. I'm not from _anyone's_ race.

Third Human. Third Elf. Third Darkness. I'm the absolute definition of what's classified as _unique_.

Speaking of the Elf… I must remember to ask him about '_melda'_…which is something he keeps calling me…

Together, we made it to Edoras, where we helped banish the slimy king's advisor from Meduseld, and Lady Éowyn revealed to me that I'd once terrorized the region as the Wildcat. Fun. I also blew up and fixed a wall, but that's a story for another day.

After Théodred's passing ceremony I tried to use my power to bring him back from the dead, which – even though it failed – nearly killed me due to major rules of equivalent trade.

I'd have to die for him to live.

'_Create with the Gift of Death'_…I'm not sure if that was what the prophecy was referring to when that was mentioned, but from where I stand, the gift of my death would definitely have been able to create something for Théodred. Théoden King is still sore about that, and I'm not sure what I'll have to do to get him to trust me again…not that he ever did really trust me. I don't really blame him – who goes around trusting every flame-eyed, loud-mouthed, magic-fetching-sword girl with dark lightning crackling everywhere?

Not me.

With the darkness inside me building up faster and to a greater mass of energy than ever before, I'm running around blasting things as a roundabout way of releasing pent-up energy. It's working…just. I guess I'm lucky.

So.

Hopefully I'll manage to stay alive long enough to see this through to the end. Helm's Deep is going to be a good turn-around in this up-until-now relatively hopeless story for my companions and maybe it'll get me to grow up a bit too.

…I haven't told anyone, but I'm scared. Scared stiff of these powers of mine. They're building up too much too quickly – I'm petrified that one day, I'll lose control…

The lightning, black as midnight, crackles up my arms, a constant reminder of my unstable existence.

But… where I'm headed, Gimli and Aragorn wait just inside the gates, waiting for my return.

As I look to my side, Legolas is there, reassuring me with his smile.

And ahead of me, I've got a world of people that I've got to do my best at saving.

First things first though.

Let's fix Éowyn's extra doorway.

---

**What's in store for the future? I'll give you some quotes which I've been allowed to divulge due to the awesome premonition skills I have been gifted with as authoress:**

'_**What was I going on about again? Oh yes, internal organ marathon runners.'**_

'_**The giant-plumed-metal-headed-figure-on-a-horse-who-I-thought-might-be-Will dismounted with an ease that defied the weight of his helmet and strode over.'**_

'_**Ohh crap.'**_

'_**And all I had left him with was a dark gaze that would haunt his dreams forever.'**_

**Well then, I look forward to hearing from you, if you would be so kind. Shall I upload the edited chapters from the start as well? Or shall I wait until the end?**

**It's all up to you, my dear readers!**

**LeD.**


	37. Before the journey to Hell

…**Still not dead. Sorry for the wait before the previous chapter, but my life got screwed up, and then I had to concentrate on graduating High School. That's all done now, though, so I'm back! Back, and filled with energy to continue this 'fic!**

**Many thanks go to everyone who reviewed and read the last chapter or any chapters of this 'fic at all! Or if you've favourited, or put it on your alert list at any point in time! I am eternally grateful, and I wish I hadn't made you all wait so long. I had no idea of what I was going to get in response to the last chapter, but to all those awesome people who kindly reviewed – I do hope you'll keep reading!**

**Disclaimer****: I…haven't written one of these in a while (although it won't seem this way to the newer readers, or readers who'll read this once it's complete) and I missed last chapter. But… **_**I own nothing but Víra, Will, and a few other characters sort of, but not entirely, since we're in Tolkien's universe here.**_

.oOo.

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 37: Food.

---

They didn't call it a _mess_, or a _hole_, or whatever else my scrambled brain had managed to come up with a few minutes ago.

For your information, they called it: 'a shocking, destructive, inconvenient mass of disarray that caused unwanted clutter, confusion and fear'.

…Or maybe they were talking about me.

Meh.

"…There." I stood up, dusting my hands together and nodding. "The nice, sweet, lovable wall now has an evident absence of extra doorways."

Not to mention that the gaping hole will never cause fear again! Ha!

But… if the lovely description was directed at _me_ then I guess everyone will just have to keep on fearing.

"_HELP!_"

The roar that tore through Meduseld shoved me roughly out of my thoughts and caused everyone present to spin wildly to face the direction the cry came from. Legolas and I looked at each other – his expression was completely calm while I was sure I looked as relaxed as a Hobbit on fire. The glance between us only lasted a moment; then we were bolting through the corridors and into the entrance hall.

Well, I _tried_ to.

And instead fell flat on my face.

With everyone watching.

ARGH!

I _really_ wish my Elf-third had prevented that. But no, all that I get are pointy ears and even then they don't have awesomely brilliant hearing.

And, incidentally, they also didn't help much with the prevention of embarrassing situations.

Because Legolas had already turned the corner, I was left to drag my feet away to hide in a hole by myself. The hole turned out to be my room.

_Right!_ I thought, determined. _Before _anything_ else, I MUST get out of this damned dress!_

And, after a hasty search for breeches and a loose shift, I did so.

Jumping out of my room and raising my eyebrow at a startled passer-by, I took a deep breath punched the air.

"Okay! Back to the running!"

This time _without_ falling over, thankfully.

…Which way was that hall again?

---

"Ah-_HA_!"

The windswept figure appeared through a side door and marched up to the ragtag assortment of people/humans-of-various-decent/elf/dwarf/Wizard standing and sitting around the hall.

With the addition of myself – finally – that made an extra third of elf and human, as well as a lonely little 0.3 recurring of dark.

"You have been found! Aren't you proud?" I beamed.

Seeing Legolas' raised eyebrow I was forced to struggle with the knots in my stomach in an attempt to untangle the mess. I looked for something to distract me, my eye landing on the contents of the particular table Aragorn was seated at.

I stared. Openly. I bet there was drool dribbling disgustingly from the corner of my mouth.

It looked like bread. Smelt like bread. Actual, _actual_ non-elvish way-bread! Not I didn't like way-bread – it was dry, but good – it was just… _Real bread!_

I kept staring.

The Ranger glanced down, and then took the pipe he was smoking from his mouth. "…Would you care for some, little Víra?"

"Absolutely!" I said without hesitation, and then paused. "Wait, 'little'? Ah, what the hell, never mind!"

Then I basically attacked the stuff.

I did slow down when I realized that everyone was staring. Just a bit.

A plate of fresh rolls was set down sharply on the table in front of us. I grabbed at it.

"…You eat, Lady Elf?"

I glanced up, a bread roll halfway to my mouth, stopped, and pointed it instead at Éowyn. The woman now looked shocked that she'd spoken her mind aloud, her hand covering her mouth.

"Look," I said. "I don't know if that's a dig at Elves in general or me personally because I'm an unusual mishmash of races and therefore a monster that doesn't need to eat, but either way, the answer is: 'I'm part Human. I get hungry.'" I took a bite from the roll. "That is all."

The Lady said nothing and silently left the hall.

Oh.

_I hope I haven't been overly rude or anything,_ I thought, worried. A vision of both Théoden _and_ Éowyn hating me flashed into my head. I choked.

After jumping up, waving my arms madly, running around the table a few times, and downing a jug of water, I was fine. I'd attracted even more stares than when I'd starting wolfing down bread, but I was fine.

"Yeah…I think I'm done," I wheezed, taking up a comfortable leaning position beside Legolas – who, I'd noticed, wasn't eating. Maybe that's why Éowyn was a bit surprised?

Anyway, I shouldn't think while I eat. Inability to do two things at once and all that.

"Víralairë, your energy would best be spent on helping these children," Gandalf said sternly from his perch next to the King – the latter of which was eyeing me like I was an unwelcome coffee stain.

At the Wizard's words, I blinked around at something small and worn, realised I was looking at Gimli without his helmet, and turned my attention to some wrapped-up bundles at the end of the table across the hall.

My first thought was: …There were _children_ inside those things?

My second: Oh, so _that's_ what the giant call for help was for. No wonder there were no people panicking or foaming at the mouth. It also explained the presence of food.

"…Can someone fill me in here?" I asked slowly. "I seem to have missed something."

"Gladly," Aragorn offered. "If we do not, you will assume your own version of events and the gods only know where that will leave us."

The last part was muttered, but I heard it anyway and happily ignored it.

"Right. So, I'm assuming that there are little kids underneath all those warm-looking blankets."

A pair of eyes peeped out at me as I looked – I gave them a friendly smile but they quickly disappeared back into the woollen depths.

Aww…the little eyesies must be shy. So _cute_!

"A brother and sister from a village close to here," Legolas told me. "From what we can discern, their community was attacked by a huge group from the mountain regions."

"Outcasts, thieves, robbers and the like," Aragorn interjected. "Wildmen. They had no warning and no way to defend themselves."

I made a face, still keeping a close eye on the bundles. "Well, that's crappy. What are we going to do?"

"First, we will warm them, and continue to feed them." Éowyn rushed in, each hand precariously balancing bowls of steaming soup.

At least, I think it was soup. Gluggy mush, definitely. Soup? Maybe.

"Ah…did you make that?" I eyed the…stuff…warily. At least she wasn't offended by what I'd said earlier.

"It is fresh from the kitchens," she answered. As she set them down on the table, the bundles of blankets sprang to life and attacked their food.

There was a sharp squeak and whoosh of hasty movement.

"…What are you doing?" Legolas whispered.

"Nothing…?" I gulped, carefully prising my hands free of his tunic and stepping out from behind him.

What? I was _startled_, all right? Those two children were damn fast for their size. And considering the fact that they were covered in more blankets than I could count…

Disregarding everything else, I had managed to hug the Elf. Although, given the fact that my heart was pounding so fast that my head had taken it upon itself to hop on a supercharged merry-go-round and try to win the race, I was regretting the chance. Not that I needed the chance, exactly, what with me and my random glomp-everyone-I-see-ness.

What was I going on about again?

Oh yes, internal organ marathon runners.

Considering that my chest already tried to break the record for the most star jumps attempted in a minute whenever I was around Legolas, going near him when my adrenalin levels were boosted by fright was probably not the smartest of ideas.

It did make me feel all nice and cosy inside, however.

"Bonus!" I shouted. "Uhm, don't mind me," I added when everyone nearby wrenched their necks around to stare. I even spotted some faces peering around doors where I was _sure_ I hadn't seen anyone before. Weird.

I watched Éowyn fuss over the children while I stood by and did nothing, aimlessly rocking back and forth on my heels.

"What ails you, Víra?" Legolas eventually asked.

"I feel…slightly useless," I admitted to the Elf. "And that somehow, that makes me the object of scrutiny."

The two children, however focused they were on their food, kept giving me quick glances.

At least, they frequently looked in my general direction. Legolas standing beside me, as beautiful as he is, probably received as much of their brief sidelong-directed interest as I did.

Not that I blame them. He _is_ nice to stare at.

…And that is the understatement of the year.

I was actually rather impressed that they didn't gape with open mouths.

But then again, they weren't me. Being me probably had a lot to do with it.

Well.

More so than it would for a normal individual. I mean, I was weird to begin with, and then I had that strange obsession with Elves, and this wasn't even mentioning the fact that the Elf in question was _Legolas_…

…Rambling. I'll try to focus.

Although, I found focusing a bit difficult with Elfy casually leaning down to whisper something in my ear.

"Patience, Víra. In time, you will find something with which only you are able to assist."

I was also probably turning an unseemly shade of embarrassment, much to my chagrin.

Not to self – _don't_ think about beautiful Elves, especially a certain one, _right before they whisper in their ear so their breath makes you skin tingle in an inconveniently pleasant way._ Such a feat would be difficult, just like my attempt at focusing, but somehow I'd have to manage.

Because, among other reasons but most importantly, I now had a bemused-looking Elf looking down at me expecting a reaction to what he'd said, and I was attempting to respond with something other than an incomprehensible "nghah".

It wasn't a great deal of help that my brain was still half-melted from having an Elf whisper into my ear.

It wasn't as if it had been anything dramatic, passionate, or even dramatically passionate anyway!

…I was sure I'd said something about rambling.

I took a deep breath and knuckled myself in the forehead.

"…Ow."

"What are you doing?" the Elf asked.

"Thinking," I replied. One-word answers seemed a safe bet for my brain at that point.

"Must you do so in such a painful-looking way?"

"For the moment? Yes." I glanced up, studied the expression on Legolas' face, deemed my brain safe enough since it didn't explode, and grinned. "Don't ask."

Thankfully, the Elf said nothing and turned back to observing the children. I did the same.

It seemed they were both on their fourth bowl of…food. I was vaguely aware that starving people shouldn't stuff themselves immediately or they'd be ill, but hey, I could be wrong. It happened.

Maybe they weren't starving, and were only trying to warm up…

Ah.

I walked over, stepped around the fretting Éowyn and a few chairs and edged myself into a position where I was standing between the two kids, but still behind them.

"Allow me," I smiled, adding, "_L__aucerte as súle nin_ (Make them warm with my breath)," before breathing onto my hands and placing one on each of the siblings' shoulders. I felt the heat drain out of me, and was pleased. It worked this way around too! Just like on Mount Caradhras when I'd warmed…

…The Hobbits.

Damn I missed those guys. But I couldn't let myself think about them! Apart from the mass depression that would sink in, I had children to assist, here and now!

The said children tensed slightly as the spell began to work – I almost pulled away – but then they relaxed, resuming their eating more calmly now. What had their names been? If we were following the particular version of events that had been happening up until now, then… the boy was Éothain and the girl was Freda. I'd have to ask, just in case, but for now, in my head, those names would suffice.

"Hey, Lady?" Freda asked suddenly.

A brief pause followed where I worked out she was talking to me. Again with that ridiculous 'lady' business. "Yeah?"

"You've got warm hands, Lady. It's nice."

That…wasn't technically what was happening, but okay. "Thanks."

The girl continued in between mouthfuls, her spooning gradually becoming less and less frenzied as she relaxed.

"My mama says," –spoonful– "that if a person's got cold hands, it means they're real kind, or something." Slurp. "But, mama always had warm hands – and papa too."

Here, she was thoughtfully distracted by the soup again.

I caught hold of a passing thought – if 'cold hands mean a warm heart' then lifeless bodies must be really nice about sharing their toys!

Ahaha… Typical of my mind to come up with something morbid like that when we're having a tender, shiny moment, here. Way to go.

"I reckon," the little girl started again. "I reckon, since you've got warm hands too, you must be extra kind."

She flashed a smile up at me, as her brother (whose spoon was still in-training for the Lightning Speed World Fast-Feeding race) nodded his agreement.

That…had to be the most heart-warming thing someone had ever said to me. Ever. _Ever._ Corny though it was.

Coupled with the kid's grin it made me want to evaporate from cuteness overload.

"…What? …I…Thanks…? I just…" I was silent for a moment, staring in embarrassed shock. "…Tell me if you get cold again, okay? _E__telehte_ (release)."

I said nothing as I stepped back around a now secretly smiling Éowyn, the chairs and the end of the table. Then I walked across the room and took up my designated 'Víra is embarrassed and/or scared' spot behind Legolas – a place I seemed to be frequenting lately. Hell, I could even hide from the Elf himself, although he'd probably be able to hear me blushing.

You know, in his awesome, Elfy way.

I was sure I'd caught the knowing curl of his lips, even in my oh-so-carefully-controlled haste to duck back there.

"Do you see?" the Elf murmured. "Perhaps you are not as feared upon first sight as you have led yourself to believe."

_They'll learn._

I didn't want to say it aloud, but the thought had already managed to grab my mood by its collar and was dunking it in an ice bath.

Although, as I stepped out from behind the Elf, I couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Maybe you're right," I replied finally, watching as Éowyn readjusted the blankets carefully around the pair.

Maybe…just maybe…he was right_._

"Hey, hey, where's mama?" Freda piped up. A flash of sympathy passed over Éowyn's face but was swiftly replaced by a reassuring – albeit slightly strained – reassuring smile as she hushed the child. My heart nearly broke before I remembered that, hopefully, these children would be reunited with their mother before too long.

I really shouldn't get so caught up in a story that I know all about! But then again, _I_ was here so I couldn't let my guard down too much.

Besides, it doesn't show it in a story which cuts to all the important and exciting bits, but walking in one direction for hours and hours and days and days can get really _boring_.

Still, maybe that's why I was here. To make it all slightly more interesting. Or it was just some almighty power's idea of an annoying joke. Not to mention slightly dangerous.

I glanced at Théoden. He certainly seemed to think so. In between his nearly inaudible counsel with Gandalf, he kept shooting me unwelcome glances. I sighed.

"Maybe it isn't just the first-time impressions I have to worry about, Elfy," I murmured, nodding to the front of the Hall.

"His heart is too filled with grief to respond well to sensible reason, I fear," Legolas replied. "Although not only he is to blame. Your actions did not give him cause to welcome you either."

Ah. True. My shoulders slumped.

"Cut the little lass some slack, Elf!" Gimli spoke up. I stared a little – I don't think I'd ever get used to him without his helmet, no matter how many times I saw it. "She already has Gandalf to chide her for her loose words – she is not in need of another scolding!"

"Not from _you_." I thought I heard Aragorn mutter into his pipe.

I thanked Gimli in my head, and apologized silently for thinking that his helmet-hair looked strange. But what Legolas had said was right, and his words had only confirmed just how much work I'd need to put into gaining the king's trust.

And if not his trust, something, _anything_ to stop him glaring at me all the time. As if my outlandish presence wasn't feared enough already! The King didn't even try to hide his looks of scorn and mistrust, and the people definitely trusted him more than little old scary me. They'd just start following his example!

Things were definitely not in my favour on that particular front.

But I'm not known for giving in easily.

Hell, my companions knew that well enough from trying to make me shut up during my endless renditions of travelling songs they'd never heard before. They did it politely, of course, immensely irritating though I was.

Anyway, my conclusion? Stubbornness was definitely the way to go!

I just hoped it worked well enough to get through the thick, proud skulls of the King and people of Rohan.

…I suppose stopping the snide internal remarks about them would be a good place to start then wouldn't it?

.oOo.

**And we'll leave it at that, for now. A bit of pointless chapter, so sorry about that, but I had to get things rolling again and flex this direction of my creativeness after such a horribly long break. If I continued on from here, we'd end up with an impossibly long chapter which would thrill a lot of you but drain me, and then the updates wouldn't be regular, like I'm trying to make them.**

**Ehh… I forgot to mention Will. He's still around there somewhere. Helping Háma guard things.**

…**I just realised – I'm the same age as Víra now! YAY! …Scratch that. Because of the lack of updates I'm probably now a year older. I'm also really glad that I'm going mostly by the movies' timeline, because otherwise, Víra would be 10 years older than she is now… 26? Bluhh that'd be confusing.**

**Oh! Would anyone like Víra to have a birthday? There're a few weeks at the end of the War where I can squeeze it in.**

**Please review! Even if it's just to say hi! Feedback appreciated!**

**-LeD**

**Oh yes, and don't think you're too crazy when lots of chapters for this come flooding in - I'm editing typos and things from the first 35 chapters and re-uploading them. Just a warning.**


	38. I mean…Before the journey to Helm's Deep

**Ahh…it's late. Sorry. I shall try for more punctuality next time!**

**Thank you to my lovelies: ****Maid of Imladris****, ****Song in the woods****, ****Mistress Hikari****, ****ILoveBooksForever****, ****Harteramo****, ****Koizumii**** and afina . kedavra (sorry for the spaces in your name, but the document manager auto-deletes it otherwise****…)**. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!

**Also, I think I'll leave the edited chapters until I've finished the story – I'm sure you'd all prefer new chapters rather than wait the horribly long time it'll take for me to check all the previous ones and repost them. So, yeah. Sorry about that. I did try, which is why I took so long this time…**

**Disclaimer****: Oh. Um… **_**I own nothing that I don't and do own stuff that I do. I'm definitely not trying to lay any kind of claim to anything I don't own. Mostly stuff belongs to other people.**_

.oOo.

_To Be A Girl In Middle-Earth_

Chapter 28: Horses and Will and Horses…and horses…and some more horses…

---

Then there was a Talk.

Gandalf must have picked up some of my subtlety and persuasion, because so far he'd managed to convince the King into nothing. Great, that, considering we kind of had to get out of here. Fast.

Because really, even though the walls of this place looked sturdy, I'd kind of blown it to pieces, and there was a better defensive place out there, even if it meant we couldn't run if things got nasty: Helm's Deep.

I really wasn't looking forward to that at all. More fighting. Way to mess up our holiday plans in Edoras.

Wait, it had been building up to war already? Really? I'd never noticed.

Back to the riveting conversation.

"You must fight."

And at those words, the King and the Ranger argued. At least, that's what it would've looked like to any passers-by.

In reality, Aragorn offered advice, and Théoden's pride got in the way of heeding it.

Such is life when you're an arrogant King.

At least, probably.

I'm not _too_ sure, since I'm not one, myself. You get that.

As it was, our side (I side with the trusty Ranger, if it isn't already obvious – even though he has a tendency to misjudge the size of hills) got out advice ignored.

"Hey, hey…" I began, stepping forward. "Gandalf didn't mean for you to fight with _us_ you know–"

The King's irate glare turned on me in an instant. I swallowed, stepping back quietly. Théoden turned back to boring holes in Aragorn instead.

So. We get glared at. Fantastic.

"I will not risk open war."

"Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not," the Ranger said, still trying to press his point. It didn't seem to be working.

"When last I looked, Théoden, not Aragorn, was king of Rohan," Théoden growled.

Barely-masked insults. Lovely.

Silence filled the hall.

Gimli burped, and I tried to smother my giggles with my fists. Because this was all very serious business, you know. I bet if I laughed I'd be decapitated or something.

Deep breaths, Víra, deep breaths and no laughing – we like having our head atop our shoulders.

If only Aragorn was a shiny white Wizard of awesome, _then _maybe Mister King would pay attention!

Oh, no, wait, we already had one of those, and he wasn't getting anywhere either. Great.

"Trying not to insult Kings is really _hard_," I mumbled.

And of course, Legolas heard me. With the deathly silence, his Elf-ears and the fact that I was right next to him, I'd be very surprised if he didn't.

"That you are trying is an admirable start, Víra," he said quietly. "You can only improve from this point forth."

"I…guess," I replied. "It's a bit difficult when he's being so _stupid_ and arrogant and bluntly refusing whatever Aragorn says. Idiot. He's even trying to have a childish staring contest now."

"Ah. You have regressed." The Elf glanced down and smiled. "I shall have to take back my words."

"Eh." I waved an uncaring hand. "Plenty of time to fix that, plenty of time."

"Also, Víra," Legolas added as an afterthought. "Should you call such a competition 'childish'? It would be something you would enjoy doing, would it not?"

"Exactly." I grinned.

The main glaring seemed to be reaching a conclusion, so I decided to pay attention. To my expected disappointment, Aragorn was backing down.

I don't think I was even clear what they were fighting about anymore – they both seemed to want the same thing. I suppose it was a slightly different means to an end or something?

_Just make up your mind already!_ I thought._ It's not that hard! Protect the people!_

Gandalf stepped forward. I noticed that he'd left his staff leaning against the wall – probably to stop himself from knocking some sense into the King and future-King, Víra style.

"Then what is the King's decision?" he asked, firmly.

Thank you, Wizard-mum, for intervening with your no-nonsense voice before things got nasty. Now we can hopefully get somewhere.

"We shall ride…for Helm's Deep."

Seems like I'd tuned in at the right time then!

"Excellent idea!" I exclaimed brightly. At this point, I think I would have praised him even if he'd ordered us to dance around in animal costumes and eat chairs. "Let's get going then, shall we?"

Looks like those guest rooms wouldn't be being used by us just yet.

And here I'd been looking forward to a comfy bed. I guess I'd just have to take out my 'frustration' on some Orcs later.

Win some, lose some.

On the topic of fighting…I hadn't done so in a few days, either. I was surprised to realize that I missed sparring with Aragorn and Legolas. Gandalf had also wanted to 'test' me, whatever that entailed. Probably more fighting.

But, I guess we had some more important things going on right now. Like saving Rohan.

I'd have to bite back my words about having plenty of time.

Plenty of time?

Hell no.

We probably had about five minutes to empty an entire city of people and safely put them in a mountain nearly a hundred miles from here.

_Five. Whole. Minutes._

Wish us luck!

We'd need it.

---

Everything started moving all at once. Háma and the other guards began to rush about outside and inside, shouting and trying to get everyone organised. It was as hectic as a chicken coop filled with snakes.

I stared to edge my way out of the hall. Slowly. I had things to grab, and whenever I had something to do in these situations, people always did their best to prevent me from getting to where I had to go by giving me odd jobs.

Legolas watched me silently. I put my finger to my lips and silently begged for him not to point out the weird Víra to other people. He looked a little confused, but nodded.

I continued my hasty edging.

I'd just reached one of the side doors and was turning around to dart through it when I heard a shout from behind me.

"Víralairë! Where are you, child!?" the Wizard shouted.

I grimaced and sheepishly raised my hand into the air. "Here, Gandalf."

He strode over easily. Even though they were in a rush, everyone made note of his position and scurried out of his way.

"What are you doing?" he asked when he'd reached me.

"I'm not running away at all Mister Wizard Sir!" I said immediately, and then stopped after meeting his stern look. "But you weren't accusing me of that, were you…?"

He continued to look at me. I felt like a naughty child in front of a disapproving schoolteacher.

"I, uh, I wanted to go get my weapons and my pack and things and be ready to go–" his expression didn't change, "And, um, help other people get ready then?"

Silence.

I felt my palms starting to sweat. "But…is there anything you want me to do first, Gandalf? Because I'll get right on that right away right now, I promise!"

"Wildcat," the Wizard said finally. I stood to attention. "Child, I simply wished to say 'take care', before I am robbed of the chance to do so."

"…Oh."

That's right, he was leaving.

"Indeed, you have a habit of making more of a situation than is necessary," he sighed. "I did not have the time to test you yet again, it seems. All is moving too fast and too swiftly for things to be orderly and precise the way we want them to be. What we wish for is not what is always granted to us. In fact, very rarely is that the case."

I got my head round that speech after blinking a few times – and nodded. Beyond him, Legolas and Gimli were delicately weaving and elbowing their respective ways through the crowd toward us, with Aragorn not far behind.

The Wizard must have noticed their approach, because he put his hand on my shoulder and said quickly: "Keep them safe, Víralairë. They need you, and Rohan needs all of you, more than is cared to be admitted." He glanced over at Théoden.

I nodded again. "Good luck with your job too, Gandalf." I chose my next words carefully as the others neared. "You'll find what you need. I know you will."

The Wizard smiled warmly as he took his hand away. "Thank you, child."

I grinned, and ducked around the corner.

"Gandalf!" I could hear Gimli calling as I broke into a run. "What is this errand of which you speak? Tell us!"

_Oh, you'll find out eventually, Dwarf,_ I thought, dodging around a focused-looking man in a helmet. _You trust him enough for that, don't you?_

No matter how much the people of Rohan would think it strange that the Wizard was leaving, we would stand by him. For one thing, I knew where he was going. And for another, I don't think I'd ever know him to speak a lie.

Trustworthy almighty powerful Wizard. Sounds good to me.

Better than the other, more Saruman-y kind.

I reached the hallway where my rooms (ex-rooms now?) were, still running. There were more people around than I'd ever seen before – where had they all been hiding up until now?

And because of the semi-panic, no one seemed to be taking any notice of me and my freaky eyes, which was good.

…It was also bad, in a way, because no-one got out of my way anymore.

Ah well.

I headed for my door, not really looking where I was going, since I was only here for one purpose, and I had to be fast, because no matter what Gandalf had already said I wanted to be there to see him off or I'd feel bad.

_That reminds me, I probably need to discharge some lightning sometime soon,_ I thought as I turned to enter my door. _I guess I could do that on the wa–_

–I hit the wall.

It let out a startled yelp, which was very confusing, since I was sure walls weren't meant to do that.

"Ouch…" I groaned, staggering backwards and clutching my head. _What the…? I'm sure I'm not stupid enough to misjudge the position of a wall… Actually, it was rather soft to be made of stone…_

I looked up.

Will stared down at me, wincing slightly.

Ah.

"Apologies, Víra," he said with a smile. "I did not see you approach. I supposed that ought to be so – I have heard the speed of Elves is unmatched, after all."

"…I was behind a wall, Will."

"I know. I was trying for a compliment," he replied smoothly. He held out a bundle toward me, which I just blinked at. "I thought you would want them as soon as I heard our King's announcement. I have your pack, also."

"Ohh, right, weapons," I said, taking them from him. "Thank you."

"You are most welcome." He unshouldered my travelling pack and waited patiently as I strapped my blades and quiver on my back and adjusted my daggers. My bow in one hand, I held out the other for my bag.

Having everything on my back again was strangely awkward, even though it had only been a few hours since I'd been carrying it all. I'd get used to it again soon enough.

"I look forward to seeing you fight with those," Will told me. "You must have some skill to carry all those with you."

I stopped fiddling with the bag straps and considered him a moment. "…Why?" I asked finally.

He looked confused – a slight drawing together of his eyebrows that didn't take anything away from his face. Like Elfy, it seemed impossible for this guy to ever look bad. "About what are you asking?"

"Why did you get my stuff for me? And what's with all the attempted flattery?" I scowled. "Because now really isn't the time, you know."

"I am aware. As I said before, I thought you would want your belongings as soon as was possible." He grinned. "Your attempts at escaping the hall were looking to be futile, so I thought I would assist you. At these times, no-one questions a determined-looking man in armour."

"I'm sure there were more important things for you to be doing, but okay, whatever," I reasoned. I was starting to get impatient – although I wanted to stay and talk with Will, I needed to get out there to say bye to Gandalf…

"You should not frown so, Víra – a smile is many times more becoming of the beauty of an Elf."

My scowl deepened. I could feel the coil of embarrassment that always came upon hearing stupid flattery begin to crawl its way up out of my stomach. "I'm not an Elf. Only a third Elf. The other bits are Human and Evil, so scowling remains valid."

He ignored me, still smiling. "As for the expressions of admiration…" He leaned towards me and lowered his voice so it went a bit husky. "It is because you are even prettier when you blush, Víra-Elf."

And of course, my face flared with embarrassment.

He grinned.

My tongue stopped working, glued to the roof of my mouth somehow. Will's grin grew ever wider as he bowed and excused himself.

…What.

I stood there, slightly stunned, thinking about what a stupid idiot he was as I tried to make my body obey what my head was screaming at it to do.

After I had gained control of my voice again I glared after his retreating figure.

"It's _third-Elf_, got that!?" I shouted, my ears hot.

"That changes not the truth of my words, my lady third-Elf!" he called back as he rounded the corner.

For a while after he had gone, I just remained in place, looking at my toes and willing the heat of my face to go away, go away, go away…

Much like the people who had stopped to stare, even with their impending doom and everything.

Go away, go away, go away…

Lightning zipped over my arms and crackled around my hands, which I'd balled into fists. Yep, I'd probably need to go blast something soon.

I really had to work on a less severe way to expresses my embarrassment. Probably, it would also be a good idea before I saw him again, to suppress the urge to whack the guy upside his head.

_That_ could lead to some awkward situations, depending on who saw. Explanations are really not my thing.

Jeez! Legolas never did this to me, damn it! Yes he made me fuzzy in my stomach, but Will made me fuzzy in my head as well! It was ridiculous! His flattery wasn't even proper… And it was so clichéd!

…ARGH!

Why couldn't _Elfy_ be the one to say things like that!?

_Because he's an Elf, _I told myself sharply._ And he doesn't like you that way._

I didn't think Will did either, considering he'd only known me for a few hours and had already tried to kill me once. I was pretty sure he was just teasing – I had a friend like that back on Earth.

Although…that friend hadn't tried to kill me, so maybe that made a difference? I had no idea. I also wasn't a third-Elf back on Earth.

But still. Pretty sure he was teasing. Pretty sure.

'Back on Earth'…heh. Made me sound like an alien.

Okay.

I'd been standing there like an unusual statue for five minutes already – maybe it'd be a good idea to get going.

I took a deep breath, made sure that I'd settled enough to not fall over if I started to move, and bolted.

Running cleared my head. I'd made sure to go in the opposite direction to Will, and somehow I managed to avoid running into him again before I reached the giant front hall. I spied Gandalf leading my three companions out the doors and began to make my way through the crowd. Most of the townspeople were outside anyway, so the group of people inside were slowly thinning as those who dwelled in the Halls of Meduseld gathered their provisions and departed. Still, quite a few people remained to dodge around, as well as tables where unneeded items had been stowed for attempted protection.

Better inside than outside, I guess.

And we were all going _outside_. Aren't we clever?

But hey, we had sharp pointy things and a walking nuke in the form of a sixteen-year-old-girl. We'd be totally safe.

Really.

By the time I reached the doors, the four had already started off down the slopes toward one of the vast stables. It was getting more and more difficult to reach them. Everyone was crowding around outside and there were horses out and about now too, along with their helmeted riders. Sensing the rising panic, they seemed a bit on edge as I nervously passed by – although their masters seemed to mostly have them under control.

Probably. As far as I could tell. I'm not a horse person.

As anyone would be able to see, if they cared to watch me carefully tiptoe past them all.

I saw the flash of Gandalf's white cloak vanish as they entered the stables. I bit my lip – would I make it?

My lightning crackled.

"Ah, to hell with it!" I yelled, and began to run, screaming all the way down.

They all look at me like I was mad, but at least they got out of the way.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH– _Stop!_" I shouted when I reached the stable doors, skidding to a halt in the dust, arms outstretched and waving in an attempt to maintain upright stability.

Flap, flap, flap, flap…flap…_there_. Alrighty then.

Regaining my balance, I looked around. A couple of the Rohan stablemen were frozen in place, staring at me openly. Their skittish horses danced back and forth on their lead ropes, anxiously tugging at them.

I guess I freaked both species out but with varying reactions?

This was like a social science experiment on drugs.

Actually, most of my interactions with people could be classified as such.

Facing the stunned men I bowed politely.

"Wildcat at your service!" I exclaimed, beaming. Then I nodded sharply and entered the building.

Ducking away from a horse I waved hi to Legolas and darted past him, still not too sure of myself after the episode with Will. Gimli was busy being wary of the lovely beasts so I left him to it and kept walking straight to the back.

"Three hundred lives of Men I've walked this earth, and now I have no time," Gandalf was saying as I approached. "With luck, my search will not be in vain."

"It won't be," I said firmly. Covering the last few steps as quickly as I could I practically threw myself at the Wizard in a hug as big as I could make it without accidentally attacking him with my bow. "You've got lots of luck. You even came back from death once already. But still…good luck."

"I wish you luck also, child," the Wizard murmured, his free arm around my shoulders in a kind of half-hug that was still filled with warmth. I stepped back, smiling, blinking back the stupid tears in my eyes. Showed how brave I was about this upcoming battle, didn't it?

I'm so pathetic.

With his staff, he tapped me gently on the head. "Take care."

I scrubbed at my eyes and grinned. "We will!"

He mounted Shadowfax and turned to Aragorn, who stood aside to let them pass. "Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day," the Wizard told him as his farewell. "At dawn, look to the east."

Aragorn nodded. "Go."

I backed up against a wooden post as white Wizard and white horse raced past, seeming to go from standing still to super fast in the blink of an eye. Legolas and Gimli also had to jump back as he galloped by – I heard a few shouts from outside and guessed that the same thing was probably happening out there too.

I walked over to the Dwarf and the Elf.

"And so he leaves us yet again," Gimli huffed.

"Yeah," I said. "But at least he's alive this time, right?"

"Truer words were never spoken," Legolas agreed.

"Enough melancholy!" the Dwarf said after a moment's silence. "Back to these horses! Must I ride one of these creatures again?"

"Absolutely." I patted him on the shoulder. "If I have to, you have to."

"That is not fair, lass!" Gimli grumbled. "You are higher off the ground than I! Used to it, you are! I like being on the ground – my feet are sturdy, and are not partial to rearing up at any given moment!"

At his words, the closest horse snorted into his ear.

I swear I have never seen the Dwarf jump so far since. He was halfway across the stables and out the door almost as fast as Shadowfax had been moments earlier.

"You'll get used to it!" I called after him then squealed as I felt warm breath down the back of my neck.

I whirled around with a glare, ready to face whatever horse had dared to do that.

As it was, my glare only intensified.

"_Aragorn!_ What was that for!?"

The Ranger stepped back and grinned. "One should not speak of conquering fears which one has not conquered yet themselves," he said, mock sternly. "Legolas, go fetch Master Gimli – we cannot part from him in this mass of people or we will not see him for some time. Go."

The Elf nodded, and left, weaving effortlessly through the people of Rohan in search of his friend. No doubt he could see him clearly, and was just picking the best route to get to him.

"Ah, to have Elf-eyes," I sighed.

"Whenever you are in need of such sight, I do not think he will hesitate to oblige you, Víra," Aragorn said carefully. Someone came up and gave him a saddle, which was partly what we were here for, apart from seeing Gandalf off. They must not have trusted me with one, because I was left out.

Thankfully. I wouldn't have known what to do with the thing.

"Mm, he's kind like that, isn't he?" I agreed.

Aragorn snorted.

I glanced up at him. "What was that for?"

"Ah. I seem to have some grass seed caught in my throat," he said, turning away and sniffling loudly. "Give me but a moment, I will be fine."

…Oookay. Random.

I thought that was my job.

Anyway, standing here with nothing to do except get strange comments from Aragorn was making me fidgety – not to mention I was getting sick of dodging horses – so I decided to try my luck in the outside world.

Surely I would be less in the way there. It's a larger space with more room to put things, for one.

So I wished Aragorn luck in finding our horses and walked outside into the sunshine…

…Where it was just as crowded, if not more, because everyone was carting around belongings and not just horses.

Although, horses are pretty big, mind you, and there were plenty of them in the stables.

Trying to reach a comparison here just isn't working. I'll move on.

The stablemen from before were still there, but this time they were moving, and with different horses. I waited a few minutes for someone to give me something to do, rocking back and forth on my feet and swaying from side to side.

"Nothing…" I hummed tunelessly. "Nothing, nothing, nothing…"

Once again, the stablemen looked at me like I was nutty.

Which I am. Completely insane. Ask that giant squirrel over there, he knows.

I look freaky and act freaky – no wonder people weren't asking me to do stuff!

Revelation, here! It's amazing!

"I think I'll just go back inside and find Aragorn, since Elfy and the Dwarf are nowhere to be seen. Good day!" I waved to the bemused-looking men before darting back inside again.

"Aragorn!" I called, reaching the end of the row of pillars that lined the stables. "Hey look, this continues around the corner! I wondered where all those extra horses and people were coming from. Aragorn!"

Another revelation – I talk to myself when there's no one around that I know. My sanity levels are rising, definitely.

"Aaaaragooorrrnn–! No wait, that sounds like I'm calling a naughty kid. I'll stop that now. Thank you." I nodded to a stableman and a horse who'd heard me mumbling to myself and backed out of the way. "Insanity is not catching, so you'll be fine."

I think.

Nearly all the horses in this part of the stable had been saddled and taken out – only a few were left. I peered through the semi-gloom and spotted Aragorn down the far end, heading towards me. I waved at him and he nodded back.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of gold. I turned around to see what it was and came face to face with Éowyn. And the grey horse she was leading.

"Ah. Hi," I said. "What are you doing down here?"

"Helping," she said, looking pointedly at my arms full of nothing. She passed the lead rope to a waiting man. "I do what I can to assist."

"Well, I'm pretty useless, so you should feel pretty good about that, Lady Éowyn."

I felt smug. Which is unusual, because I'd basically just insulted myself. _She_ should be the one who was feeling superior–

_Hang on,_ I thought. _What if–_

Someone roughly shoved me aside.

"_Look out!_"

I spun around, eyes wide, and backed up, just as a pair of angry hooves landed where I'd been standing. I stopped moving away once I'd hit a post-pillar-thing beside Éowyn.

"See?" I gasped to her. "Useless _and_ scared of horses."

"You would not make a fine Lady of Rohan, certainly," Éowyn said with a small smile.

I smiled back, shakily.

But still with the annoyingly _smug_ feeling. What the hell?

The horse continued to rear up, flicking out with his front hooves, scared of something. He seemed like he was able to smell the fear of the people around him even more acutely than the rest of the horses, and it was affecting him greatly. Two men were struggling to keep him down, a rope on either side of his bridle.

Giving his saddle to a passing stableman, Aragorn stepped up to the challenge.

"That horse is half mad, my lord! There is nothing you can do – leave him!" the man called out.

Éowyn and I watched with interest as the Ranger bluntly ignored him and focused on the horse, grabbing one of the ropes from the men and taking over.

"What does he think to do?" the lady murmured to me, eyes fixated on the scene.

I was seriously worried for her. Aragorn was awesome, yes, but really… He had Arwen already.

"Just watch," I said knowingly.

She flickered her gaze at me briefly – a surge of jealously welled in my chest, then died down as she returned her attention to Aragorn, who had begun to whisper to the horse in Elvish, calming him.

What…was all that about? I squinted at the lady as she continued to watch the Ranger. Little shivers of the aforementioned feeling were oozing down the back of my neck as I did so.

Hm.

I frowned, and turned my eyes back to Aragorn, although I wasn't really focused on what he was doing (which was more horse-whispering, taking off one of the ropes, and gently petting him).

All these weird emotions weren't mine. I was sure of that now. But if they weren't, then…

…No.

That couldn't be right, could it?

I refused to believe it. This was _not_ a science-fiction novel. Or a supernatural futuristic story.

I mean, we had to _walk_ everywhere, pretty much, unless there were horses. Futuristic it definitely was not.

But still.

People didn't just go around suddenly developing psychic emotional-sensory fairytale powers.

Then again, I wasn't exactly what would be considered a _person_, now was I?

Aw,_ hell_.

Still didn't believe it though. It'd be extremely annoying and get in the way an awful lot. Not happening. No not ever never.

Another discovery – it is quite easy to convince myself of something by repeating it over and over in my head. No wonder Sauron got into my mind so easily…

"His name is Brego," I heard someone say. "He was my cousin's horse."

While I'd been thinking, Éowyn had disappeared from beside me and popped up over with Aragorn. Brego was almost fully calmed by now.

"_Man le trasta, Brego? Man cenich?_ (What troubles you, Brego? What did you see?)" the Ranger whispered.

"Probably me," I mumbled, turning away as Éowyn began to question him.

_Poor Aragorn,_ I thought. _Being the object of her admiration and not knowing exactly how to deal with it must be tough._

I'd leave him to it.

Slowly, very slowly, I began to walk away.

"Turn this fellow free," Aragorn said loudly from behind me. "He's seen enough of war. If you will excuse me, I must see to it that the Wildcat does not get herself lost."

I heard him take his gear from the stableman. Then he smoothly fell into step beside me without saying another word.

I glanced back, and cringed at the stiff-jawed look Éowyn was sending after us. Particularly me.

Ouch. Misplaced jealousy much? Although, I didn't blame Aragorn for unintentionally using me as a scapegoat: he really didn't have time right now for this kind of relationship drama.

It wouldn't hurt me to take note of that fact as well.

Stupid Will!

I sighed heavily as the two of us reached the entrance.

"Troubled, Víra?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the Elf's unexpected appearance. Where the hell had he come from!?

Stupid Legolas!

"You scared me!" I gasped. Too many things had surprised me these past few hours – maybe it was Scare Víra Day. "Did you find Gimli?"

The Elf stepped to one side, gesturing to the nervous Dwarf who was standing well back from the stables and eyeing everything like a horse was about to jump out from behind it.

_I understand you perfectly,_ I thought dryly. It wasn't just magically-appearing _horses_ I was afraid of though…

I sighed again. Legolas looked concerned, so I quickly told him not to worry.

"Shall we depart then, if we all are ready?" Aragorn asked.

"Woo! Finally!" I punched the air. Taking a deep breath, I raised my foot to begin walking down the hill.

A pair of gentle but firm hands on my shoulders stopped me in my tracks.

"Wrong direction, _melda_," Legolas murmured into my ear.

_Too close!_ I felt myself slowly beginning to blush. "O-okay. Which way, then?"

I hopped around on one foot as the Elf turned my shoulders to face me the right way. Beyond a throng people, I could see Hasufel and Arod tethered to a post. Aragorn and Gimli were already headed over there.

"Ah," I said intelligently.

The Elf let go of my shoulders and stepped around me to lead the way through the crowd, thankfully not looking back and – even more thankfully – not noticing the look on my face. I darted after him.

Damn it!

Stupid Will and stupid Elfy, yeah…

But stupid _me_ most of all!

_This is going to be a looong, awkward road trip, _I thought tiredly.

I ducked around yet another horse, which snorted at me before continuing on.

…Maybe even longer than I'd thought, because I was seriously considering walking.

Walking is _good._

_Safe_.

Bugger – I was starting to sound like Gimli.

.oOo.

**And they're finally off! I managed to make the place they spend the shortest time into the bit with the most chapters. I have no idea how my head works anymore…**

**No one mentioned anything about wanting Víra to have a birthday…so I'm assuming no then? Hm…**

**I wait with bated breath to hear from you all! I love to hear your thoughts! Appreciation! Suggestions! Oi-LeD-something-doesn't-make-sense-here-ness! Much cookies and chocolate and Elf-shinys shall be given!**

**So, please review! Review, review, review!**

**-LeD :)**


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